Sisters of Arendelle: The Greatest Power
by DR Lafrance
Summary: #3 in my Sisters of Arendelle series. Elsa may be a queen, but she is also a young woman. When an old and unusual friend from her past crashes in Arendelle, her world gets turned upside down. Will Elsa have a love of her own for her sisters wedding after all? (Slight crossover with HTTYD and Tangled) Rated TM for suggestive content.
1. Chapter 1

Sisters of Arendelle:

The Greatest Power

Prologue

The king of Arendelle and the king of Zalaria were deep in discussions regarding trade between their kingdoms. Or rather, that's what their wives believed as they sat together on a bench near the beach, chatting and watching their children play together. 3 year old princess Anna of Arendelle was taking an unplanned nap in the grass beside her mother, while young prince Victor of Zalaria and princess Elsa of Arendelle worked together on a sandcastle. Elsa and Victor were the same age. And thanks to the numerous trade meetings between their two kingdoms, had formed a strong friendship.

"It's perfect!" Victor chimed happily to Elsa. "A castle fit for a queen."

Elsa cocked her head to one side, studying the sculpture. "It's just missing one thing." She commented.

Victor gave her a confused look as she dug a trench around the sandcastle, then passed her hand over the trench, and Victor's expression went from confusion to pleasant surprise as Elsa used her magic to fill the trench with ice.

"There." She smiled. "Every castle has a moat around it. To keep out bad guys."

Victor smiled in return. "Wow. I never would have thought of that, Icy. How'd you get so smart?"

"Papa says I'll be queen someday, Vikee. And that's something a queen is supposed to know. I don't know why though. I don't think I'm ever gonna build a castle."

Victor giggled. "You're so lucky, Icy. I wish I could be you sometimes."

Elsa gave him a puzzled look. "Why would you wish that?"

"Because!" he replied. "I won't ever be a king. I have 2 big brothers and 3 big sisters who will all get to rule before me. They would all have to die first. And I don't want that."

"Gosh, no!" Elsa commented.

"Plus," Victor continued, "You have ice magic. I'm just….normal. It must be really neat to have powers like that."

Elsa's head dropped. "Not always."

Victor was puzzled. "What do you mean, Icy? What could be so bad about being magic?"

"Not everyone thinks it's good." She replied. "Mostly people are afraid of me because of my powers. Some have even called me a monster. That's why I don't use them a lot. I don't want to scare everyone away."

Victor took Elsa's hand and smiled. "Well, you don't scare me." Elsa smiled in return.

Then Victor stood. "Come on! Let's go down the beach and see how many gulls we can scare off!"

"Cool!" Elsa replied. Then Victor stopped and hung his head.

"You had to say 'Cool', didn't you Icy."

Elsa laughed out loud, then started running down the beach with Victor close behind.

Back on the bench, their mothers watched them run off. They were happy that Elsa and Victor got along so well. Being royalty made it difficult to form lasting friendships, especially for children. So these 'trade meetings', whether in Arendelle or Zalaria, were perfect opportunities for the children to just be children. And they both hoped that the friendship between Elsa and Victor would be strong enough to endure the trials of royalty.

Only time would tell.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 1

"You can't be serious!" Kristoff hollered. "The South Beach?!"

"But it has the best view in all Arendelle." Anna replied.

Kristoff shook his head. "Anna, its winter. And the snow is 4 feet deep. Do you have any idea how much work it'll be to clear a space big enough for all the guests?"

"Kristoff, We're only getting married once." Anna returned. "And I want it to be the most memorable thing we ever do. Isn't that worth a little extra effort?"

Elsa and Gerda stood outside Anna's bedroom door listening to Anna and Kristoff planning their wedding, and trying very hard not to break out laughing. This particular topic had been going on for quite some time, and much of the palaces population could hear every word. Some had even questioned if the two should even be married. Seemed like whatever detail one wanted, the other wanted something completely different. All agreed however that Anna and Kristoff were both equally stubborn.

"Perhaps, your majesty," Gerda commented, "Now may be a good time to present them with your offer. Before they injure each other"

"I think you're right." Elsa giggled, knocking on the door. From the other side the verbal onslaught suddenly ceased, followed by Anna responding. "Come in."

Gerda opened the door and walked in, ducking to one side to give the queen a clear path to enter. Then Elsa followed. "Good evening Anna. Kristoff. Still planning?"

"Trying to." Anna replied. "We can't seem to agree on were to have the ceremony."

Elsa sat on the bed. "Maybe I can help. What did you have in mind?"

"Well, I think we should have it outside on the south beach. It's such a beautiful place with lots of room." Anna explained.

"And it's buried under 4 feet of snow." Kristoff added. "I think we should have it in the palace gardens, where we had our first official date."

Elsa commented. "But most of the plants in the garden are dead for the season."

Kristoff thought a moment, as Anna smirked at him.

The Elsa continued. "And the south beach would be a poor choice as well."

"What? Why?" Anna asked.

"The sea ice has pushed up the beach, almost to the tree line." She replied. "There's no feasible way to clear it for an event this big."

Anna's shoulders slumped in defeat. Kristoff didn't waste the opportunity to redeem his pride, returning Anna's earlier smirk. But Elsa couldn't let this war go on.

"I have been thinking about your dilemma, and I think I know the perfect place for both the ceremony and the reception, since the royal chapel is clearly not an option."

"How'd you know that?" Kristoff asked, clearly confused. Gerda was quick to provide an answer. "I'm afraid the two of you were so loud in your discussions that the whole palace could hear."

"The whole palace?" Anna asked, her face turning a bright red.

Elsa giggled, "Maybe not the whole palace. There may be a few people in the blacksmith shop that missed it." Anna and Kristoff both groaned and hid their faces.

Elsa smiled. "Don't worry. You aren't the first couple to have disagreements over wedding plans. It will all be worth it in the end. And as I said, I think I can help if you'll let me."

Anna's smile returned. "I'd like that very much."

"As would I." Kristoff added.

Gerda chuckled, "Finally! Something they agree on!" Elsa giggled, but Anna and Kristoff only shot dirty looks at her.

Then Kristoff asked, "So what did you have in mind, your majesty?"

"Well," Elsa began, "There are many good locations for a wedding in Arendelle. But yours is not a common wedding. And common locations will simply not do. You need a place that not only will you never forget, but no-one else will either. And there's only one place I know of that fits that description."

Elsa stood, facing the couple. "I would consider it a personal honor if you would consider having your marriage ceremony and reception…."

Elsa paused, noting the look of anticipation on the young couples faces, then continued.

"….at my ice palace on the North Mountain."

Anna's face lit up like a firework. Struggling to say anything, she instead threw her arms around her sister. Kristoff even stammered for a moment, then said,

"Are you sure, your majesty? The ice palace is known to be your private home away from home. No-one dares go near it."

"That could be," Anna replied as she released her sister, "because of the 40 foot tall snowman that guards it."

Elsa giggled. "Don't worry about Marshmallow. He obeys my orders." Then, turning to Kristoff, added, "And unless we are performing royal business, you can just call me Elsa. We are family now. Aren't we?"

Kristoff looked to Anna, then back to Elsa, and smiled. "Yes we are, Elsa."

Anna couldn't contain her happiness any longer, and wrapped her arms around both her sister and her fiancé, pulling them into a family hug. Neither one objected.

Gerda wiped a tear from her eye, then commented. "This is so beautiful."

As the hug group separated, Anna giggled.

"Something funny, dear?" Kristoff asked.

Anna answered, "It just occurred to me how much bigger our family just became." She turned to Elsa. "Once we're married, the Trolls will be your relatives as well."

"WHAT?!" Elsa said, her eyes big as dinner plates.

Several hours later, Elsa, Anna and Kristoff were down on the pier, taking in the cool winter air. They had just spent most of the day planning a wedding and, with Elsa's help, had actually decided on everything before dinner ended. Now was the time to relax and let the coordinators take care of setting it all up. All Elsa needed to do was tell Marshmallow of the plans, so he didn't attack anyone. But there was no hurry. It would take a few weeks to get the invites out anyway.

"Wow." Anna stated. "I still can't believe we're actually getting married. That it's really gonna happen. Can you believe it, honey?"

"The way we were at each other's throats this morning, I admit I started to wonder." Kristoff replied. "Elsa, we owe you a lot for your help."

"You would have done fine without me." Elsa smiled

Anna asked, "You seem pretty sure of that."

"Your love for each other is obvious." She replied. "Just because you don't agree all the time doesn't mean you're not right for each other. Besides, if it had been that serious a fight Kristoff, you'd know it."

Kristoff gave Elsa a puzzled look. "I sense some family advice coming."

"Just remember one thing." Elsa added. "Fights with my sister can get rather…heated"

Seeing he was still puzzled, Anna produced a small flame in her hand. Then he understood.

"There is one thing that still bothers me." Anna stated, looking to Elsa.

"What's that?" she replied.

"Everyone attending will have someone special." Anna replied. "Do you have a date for the wedding?"

Elsa stepped back, surprised by her sister's question.

"She has a point, Elsa." Kristoff added. "It just wouldn't be right for you to be standing alone at your sister's wedding. Surely you must have someone in mind."

Elsa had been hit with a tough question, and her mind raced. She had never given any thought to finding a date for herself. And since she was Queen, no man would have the courage to ask her. But then again, she never really needed a love interest. She had an entire kingdom of people she cared for. More importantly, she had Anna. What more did she need?

But now Anna's attention would be drawn to another. And rightfully so. But where would that leave her? Would she be as alone as she was when she first made the ice palace? After everything she'd been through in the last year, that's the last thing she wanted. But she couldn't tell Anna that. This was her time. Hers and Kristoffs. And she didn't want to ruin it for them. She would have to go back to how she was before her coronation. Conceal, Don't Feel. At least, for now.

"You don't worry about me. " She finally answered happily. "This is your time. Yours and your future husbands. Enjoy it."

Kristoff accepted Elsa's reply. But Anna didn't like what she heard. She couldn't explain why, just a bad feeling. But she knew her sister was right. She was about to marry Kristoff. And he was the one she should focus on.

That night, all was dark in the palace. Everyone was sleeping peacefully. Everyone, that is, except Anna. She sat on her balcony, gazing up at the stars, worries for her sister filling her thoughts. Did Elsa feel that she was abandoning her by getting married? Was she doing so? Kristoff would become the center of her life, after all. But that didn't mean Elsa would be pushed out of her life. Or did it? Now she wasn't sure.

As she continued looking up at the stars, her gaze caught sight of a shooting star tearing across the sky, leaving a bright light trail behind it. Instantly she closed her eyes, crossed her fingers and said, "I wish…..for someone special for my sister to love."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 2

The morning sun shone brightly over Arendelle, made brighter by the blanket of snow that covered the kingdom. The air was crisp and cold as the winter season made its presence well known to all. Yet despite winters attempt to lock the region in silent stillness, life in Arendelle continued to thrive as it always had. Shops and stores were open, providing much needed fresh food to the people of the kingdom. The ice harvesters were busy delivering large blocks of ice to each home, which even in winter was used as a fresh water supply by the people of Arendelle. The local blacksmith was busy stoking his forge for the day's work ahead. Over all, a normal pleasant morning.

In the palace, daily life was also beginning. The chefs had been up early, preparing breakfast for the royal family. Attendants had prepared the dining hall, and now stood waiting for their valued guests. They wouldn't wait long. As was customary, they all bowed respectfully when the Queen Elsa entered, followed by Princess Anna and Kristoff. Once they were seated, the attendants began serving the morning meal.

"So," Elsa began, "How were your nights? Sleep well?"

"Quite well, your….I mean Elsa." Kristoff replied. "And yourself?"

Elsa smiled. "Very well, thank you. How about you, Anna?"

"Not so well." Anna replied weakly. "Too much on my mind."

Kristoff took Anna's hand. "You aren't worried about the wedding, are you? I'm sure the coordinators will get every detail perfect."

"I know" she replied, smiling. "Just jitters, I guess. I'm hoping I'll have enough work to keep me busy. You know. Take my mind off it for a while."

"I'm afraid there isn't much on your duty list today, your highness." Kai commented. "No official duties. Though the engineers have repaired the number 2 furnace and have requested your assistance in relighting it this morning."

Anna groaned. "Is it just me, or am I the one everyone calls when they need a fire lit? Do I look like a match?"

"Easy Anna." Elsa said. "That's part of the price we pay for our powers. I can't count on two hands the number of times I was called to cool the milk in the dairy this summer."

"You're right." Anna replied begrudgingly.

Elsa added, "Besides. The lull in work will give you more time with your future husband." She then turned to Kristoff and said, "Assuming your duty load allows."

Kristoff gave Kai a glance, to which Kai only shook his head.

"Trade stops almost entirely in winter. " Kristoff responded. "That leaves me with a rather open schedule." He turned to Anna. "What do you say, dear? A nice day off in the village, just the two of us?"

Anna smiled. "That sounds great. Right after I light the furnace."

"Excellent." Elsa stated. "I have a few things to do today, but perhaps we could meet up later. Say, dinner time?"

"Could we eat at that little café near the pier?" Anna asked.

"Of course." Elsa replied, smiling.

With that, they finished their breakfast and began their day. Anna wasted no time in lighting the repaired furnace so that she could enjoy the day with the man she loved. But inside, she prayed it would be enough to ease her mind.

"This is so nice." Anna said happily as she stood on the pier looking out over the frozen fjord, the mid afternoon sun glistening off the snow, with Kristoffs arms wrapped firmly around her from behind. "Arendelle is so beautiful this time of year."

"Yet still not as beautiful as you, my love." Kristoff replied.

Anna said nothing, but instead pulled his arms tighter around her. This was, in her mind, a perfect moment in time. And she savored every second, hoping it would never end.

But reality forced its way back, as a distant rumbling noise caught her attention. Kristoff heard it as well. And the both scanned around, looking for the source of the odd sound. It echoed off the mountains, making it hard to track. But it was clear that whatever was making it was come their way.

"THERE, KRISTOFF!" Anna yelled, pointing into the southern sky.

Kristoff strained to see the strange flying object. "Is that a dragon?"

"Not like any I've seen." She replied. The object had a similar shape to a dragon, but with several noticeable differences. It didn't flap its wings, it made a steady rumbling noise, it puffed a stream of black smoke behind it and it looked like there was something spinning on its nose. As it came closer, Kristoff noticed that there appeared to be someone riding in an opening on its back, and it had an unusual symbol on one of its wings. This led him to only one conclusion.

"That's definitely not a dragon." He said.

"Then what is it?" Anna replied.

The strange object flew past them low over the fjord, black smoke billowing out behind it. A crowd began to gather behind Anna and Kristoff as the flying object turned at the far end of the fjord and came back towards them and descended, bouncing off the ice twice before finally grinding to a stop in front of the pier and finally going quiet. Forgetting royal protocol, Anna and Kristoff jumped off the pier onto the ice and ran towards it, arriving just as its pilot climbed out of the hole in the back of what was now clearly some sort of flying machine. He was quite tall, wearing black leather head to foot with a leather helmet and a rather odd set of goggles.

"Hey friend. Are you alright?' Kristoff asked.

The stranger began walking around his machine mumbling, "Hmm. Broken wing spar, cracked frame, shattered airscrew, torn canvas." Then he turned to Anna and Kristoff and piped cheerfully,

"MY BEST LANDING YET!"

Taken back by the stranger's unusual response, Anna asked, "Um…who are you? And what is that?"

The stranger lifted his goggles up to his helmet, revealing the only clean skin on his face.

"Oh! Must have left my manners in the flyer!" he replied. "Victor Cranston of Zalaria. Inventor extraordinaire!"

"Princess Anna of Arendelle, "Anna responded. "And this is my fiancé, Kristoff."

"Arendelle, you say?" Victor commented. "Boy, was I ever off course. Gonna have to get that compass adjusted."

"If you don't mind me asking," Kristoff asked, pointing to Victor's machine, "What is this thing?"

Victor happily replied, "That my friend, is what I call 'The Wooden Dragon', a flying machine powered by what I call an 'Engine'. Another one of my creations."

Anna was intrigued. "How does it work?"

But before Victor could respond, he spotted a number of the royal guard running towards them. Instead of answering Anna's question, he simple slumped his shoulders and said, "Oh no. Not again."

Kristoff turned towards the guards, calling out, "Its ok guys. He's a friend."

The guards slowed to a stop. And from behind them Elsa stepped out and approached them.

"Anna. What's happening here?"

"Queen Elsa, this is Victor Cranston. An inventor from Zalaria. "Anna replied pleasantly. "Victor, I present Queen Elsa of Arendelle."

Victor bowed respectfully, then stood up suddenly, his face showing complete surprise. "No. It can't be."

As he slowly approached Elsa, the royal guard drew their swords. But Elsa waved them back, looking squarely at Victor. "Do I…know you from somewhere?"

Victor just stared into Elsa's face for a moment before replying, "Icy?"

Memories suddenly flashed before Elsa's eyes. Images from her past scrolling by like the pages of a flipbook. It took a few moments, but the images in her mind finally gave her the answer she was searching for. With a look of excited realization on her face, she suddenly squealed,

"VIKEE?!"


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 3

For a moment, everyone just stood there stunned. They had just witnessed the ever elegant queen of Arendelle suddenly turn into a giddy child before their very eyes. Who was this strange man? Why was he here? Why was he now hugging the queen? But one question burned in Anna's mind.

"You know him, Elsa?" she asked.

But before Elsa could reply, Victor piped, "Wait! That means you must be Little Annie!"

"PRINCESS ANNA!" Anna growled. But her response only got Victor and Elsa laughing.

"You never did like being called Annie," Elsa smiled, "even when we were little."

Kristoff could see Anna was getting upset, mainly from the steam starting to rise from beneath her shoes, and quickly stepped up.

"Um…Forgive my intrusion Elsa, but maybe you should bring us all up to speed here, before your sister melts a hole in the ice."

Elsa looked over to Anna, whose frustration was very clear.

"Oh Anna, I'm sorry." She started. "I forgot. You were only 3 last time Vikee…..I mean, Prince Victor was in Arendelle."

From everyone present, the same response rose. "PRINCE VICTOR?!"

Victor commented, "Its ok. Most people don't believe it either."

Elsa continued. "Back when we were very young, Zalaria and Arendelle were very close trade partners. Our parents would often arrange trade meetings, either here or in Zalaria, and they would take us along. Our fathers would conduct their talks while we spent the time playing together."

"That is," Victor interjected, "until your father locked up Arendelle."

"Clearly we have a lot of catching up to do." Elsa replied. "Perhaps we should take this conversation inside."

Victor smiled. "Sounds good to me. Could I trouble you for someplace to clean up first?"

"Of course" Elsa replied.

"Um...Elsa. We can't just leave this….thing out here." Anna commented, pointing to Victor's flyer.

Elsa looked at the machine. "Is that yours, Victor?" He nodded in response.

"Captain!" Elsa called. "Have Prince Victors device brought to the royal engineers shop." She turned to Victor. "You should be able to find everything you need to repair your….well, whatever you call it."

"Thanks your Majesty." He replied, holding out his arm. Elsa took his offer. As they left for the palace, Elsa told him, "And please. Just call me Elsa."

The royal guards made short work of carting off Victors flyer, and it wasn't long before Anna and Kristoff were the only ones left on the ice.

Kristoff turned to Anna and asked, "What just happened here?" But Anna could only shrug in response.

Several hours passed as Elsa and Victor rekindled their friendship from long ago. Victor regaled her with stories of Zalaria, of his life growing up and his many inventions. Elsa in turn told him of her life growing up in Arendelle, her coronation, the discovery of Anna's powers and Kristoff and Anna's upcoming wedding. Time slipped by quickly, but neither one noticed.

"You actually blew the roof off your shop?!" Elsa stated, trying not to laugh.

"Yep!" Victor replied proudly. "It landed in the farmer's field 150 feet away!"

Elsa couldn't hold back, the image of a roof flying off a building made her bust out laughing. Victor laughed as well, then continued.

"But every failure is a clue to the next success. That explosion showed me just how powerful whale oil is. Which led to my creating the engine that powers the Wooden Dragon."

Elsa calmed down enough to ask, "But isn't such an explosion dangerous?"

"The greater the risk, the greater the reward." He replied. "And let's be honest. You know all too well the benefits of harnessing an incredible power."

Elsa stopped laughing. "Yes. You do have a good point there."

"Let's not forget the cost of such a power getting out of control." Anna stated coldly as she entered the parlor.

"Anna!" Elsa exclaimed. "Where have you been?"

"Waiting for you at the Peirside Café." She replied. "Remember?"

Elsa's smile suddenly vanished as she put her hands to her mouth. "Oh My! Anna, I am so sorry! I completely forgot about our dinner plans. We've been catching up on old times and I completely lost track of time."

Anna just glared in response.

Then Victor broke the silence. "Um... Maybe I should go check on my flyer. No telling what damage those guards did bringing it up."

"Of course, Vic." Elsa replied. "I'll have an attendant show you to the engineers shop."

"Thanks Elsa." Victor replied. "I'll catch up with you later." At that, he stood and headed towards the door. As he neared Anna he paused a moment, but the look on her face compelled him to keep moving. He instead gave a friendly nod as he passed. After Victor was out of sight, Anna walked to the table and sat beside her sister.

"Ok Anna." Elsa started. "I know you're upset that I missed our dinner date…'

"It's not just that, Elsa" Anna replied harshly.

Elsa was taken aback by her sister's reaction. "Then what is the problem?"

Anna calmed herself, then continued. "I don't like Victor. There's something about him that just makes me want to flame up. He's so cocky and arrogant."

"I will admit he is very different from any prince we've known before..." Elsa commented.

"Then there's how you are with him."

"Hold it!" Elsa snapped. "What exactly do you mean by that?"

"Oh Come On! You completely lost your cool in front of the guards when you saw him. You're the Queen of Arendelle. The Queen can't be seen acting like a schoolgirl!"

Anna had a good point. Such a display would undermine her authority. Elsa lowered her head.

"You're right Anna."

Elsa's comment calmed her sister, who replied, "I'm sorry for snapping at you. But as your sister it's my job to look after you."

"And tell me when I'm making a fool of myself?" Elsa quipped.

Anna smiled. "It's not like I have to do it often."

"Thanks for caring, Anna." Elsa said, "I'll be more careful. But can I make a suggestion to you?"

Anna nodded.

"I know you don't remember Victor, "Elsa stated, "But perhaps before you judge him, you should take a little time to get to know him. Sure he's a bit brash, but then so were the Dragon Riders. And look how good friends they turned out to be."

Anna reeled a moment from her sisters powerful hit of logic, then replied, "I think I'll do that.", and politely left.

Anna made her way down to the engineers shop. It was a rather long walk, being on the far west wing of the castle. But it gave Anna time to calm herself enough to meet, or rather re-meet, Prince Victor. As she walked, she searched her memories for anything that he was involved with. But those memories didn't seem to exist. Maybe she shouldn't have been so quick to judge him. After all, she wasn't too fond of Kristoff in the beginning either. But now she was to become his wife, so maybe Elsa was right. Maybe she had been too quick to judge Victor. Well, she would find out, as the doors to the engineers shop came into view.

"Princess Anna!" an engineer chimed as Anna entered the shop. "Such a rare and pleasant honor to see you here, your highness!"

"Thank you." Anna replied. "Is Prince Victor here?"

"Ah, Yes!" he answered. "He's right over here."

The engineer led Anna into the main shop, where Victor's Wooden Dragon was the center of attention, despite being badly broken. Victor was sharing his design techniques with Arendelles engineers, all of whom were glued to his every word. But when Anna's presence was announced they returned to their work, leaving Anna and Victor alone.

"Princess Anna!" Victor commented. "I'm a bit surprised to see you here."

Anna shied slightly. "Um... well, Elsa thought I was a bit harsh with you earlier. I just wanted to apologize."

Victor smiled. "Don't sweat it, your highness. I know I can be a bit quick to speak at times. And I should have remembered how much you hated to be called 'Little Annie'. But that was a long time ago."

"Yes it was." Anna replied. "And I'm afraid I don't remember you at all."

"Well then," Victor piped, "Let's see if this helps jog your memory."

He reached into the flyer and pulled out a small knife. He then picked up a small piece of wood and began carving. Anna watched as Victor quickly turned the block of wood into a toy sailboat. As he handed it to Anna he asked, "Ring any bells?"

Anna looked at the small boat, and in her mind she was transported back in time. She was on a dock with her sister and a boy. The boy was giving her a toy sailboat with her name carved on it. Then she lay on her stomach and placed the boat in the water. Her sister and the boy did the same with their own boats. Then on the count of 3, all 3 blew on the sails. The 3 little boats sailed away, catching a light breeze. They watched the little boats sail off into the fjord, then the boy said, "There you are, Anna. Now your name will go around the world." She looked up at the boy and replied, "Thanks, Vikee!"

Anna snapped back to the present. "I remember this." She said, "You would make these for me whenever you came to visit."

Victor smiled. "Yep. The moment we arrived in Arendelle you'd ask me to make a new one."

"Now I remember!" Anna squealed. "We would all play together when our parents had their meetings! The trip to Zalaria took forever. But you always had some new wooden toy for me when we arrived."

"I think that was the only reason you came to Zalaria." Victor quipped.

"That's not true!" Anna snapped. "I loved Zalaria! Especially raiding the kitchen."

Victor laughed out loud. "YES! I remember that. Chef would get so mad when he'd find the ice room door wide open because you had snuck in there to..."

"STEAL THE CHOCOLATE!" they hollered in unison, followed by uncontrollable laughter.

For the next few hours Anna and Victor relived as much as Anna could remember, with Victor filling in the gaps. With each story, Anna remembered more of her childhood. She soon realized that Victor was just as much a part of her past as he was Elsa's. And just how unfairly she had judged him. True he didn't behave like a prince. But then again, she only ever met one other prince in her life. And he turned out to be a poor example. In many ways, Victor reminded her of the people of Berk. Bold and brash, yet surprisingly likeable in time. Time that flew by quickly, which Kristoff pointed out as he entered.

"Ah. There you are, Anna!"

Startled by Kristoffs call, Anna replied. "Oh! Hi love! We were just talking about old times."

"I see." He replied, clearly annoyed. "Do you have any idea how late it is?"

Anna looked out a window. "OH MY! The streetlamps are lit. Have we been talking that long?

"Well, there was a lot to catch up on." Victor commented to Kristoff. "Sorry for keeping your fiancé away so long."

"It's ok, Vic." Anna interjected, taking Kristoffs arm. "It was just as much my fault as yours. Perhaps we can talk some more tomorrow? I'd really like to know how your flyer works."

Victor smiled. "Sounds like a plan to me."

"Till tomorrow then." Anna smiled back, then turned to Kristoff.

"Let's go to my room, "She smiled slyly. "and I'll make up for my tardiness."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 4

Dawn normally arrived in Arendelle like a thief, quietly sneaking its way in. But not today. The sun, normally bright on the eastern horizon at this time of day, was powerless to penetrate the thick clouds, high winds and heavy blowing snow. It was a perfect day for families to stay inside and enjoy the time together. And in the palace, the scene was no different. Rather than risk the safety of her staff, Queen Elsa had declared a palace snow day, allowing palace staff whose duties had them working outside to stay in with their families. And while they were all grateful for their queen's kindness, none were more grateful than Anna.

"I'm so glad Elsa called this snow day." Anna said to Kristoff as they walked to the dining hall for breakfast. "The thought of you out in this storm just scares the stars out of me."

From across the table, Kristoff gave her a strange look and replied, "You do remember that I used to harvest ice, right? We used to work right through storms like this."

"I know." She replied. "But you weren't my fiancé then."

Kristoff started to reply, then bit his lip as he remembered some advice from an old ice harvester long ago. 'If the little woman ain't happy, you ain't happy.' So instead, he just smiled at her. They didn't say much more after that, continuing down the hall hand in hand.

"Hey Guys!" a familiar voice called out from behind them. Turning around, they immediately recognized the lumbering form approaching.

"Olaf!" Anna called out pleasantly. "Long time no see!"

Kristoff added, "Where you been, snowflake?"

"Up at the ice palace." Olaf replied.

Anna gave a quizzical look. "What were you doing up there?'

Olaf smiled. "Visiting my big brother. He gets a little lonely up there by himself."

"Um…didn't Elsa make you before she made Marshmallow?" Kristoff asked.

Olaf held his hands out in front of him and replied "Hey. Do YOU want to argue with him?"

"He's got you there!" Anna giggled, lightly slapping Kristoffs arm.

As they entered the dining hall, Anna noticed immediately that something wasn't right. The table was set, and the attendants were waiting to serve, but all of the chairs were empty. Where was Elsa? Anna knew she was awake, but her plate hadn't been touched. And she never missed breakfast. Maybe she had something urgent to deal with. Was it bad? Did she need Anna's help? Anna's mind raced from one thought to the next, until Kristoff snapped her back to the moment.

"Are we just gonna stand here staring at the table or are we going to eat?"

Anna shook her head and replied. "Oh! Right. Sorry. Just wondering where Elsa is. She's normally here by now."

Kristoff chuckled. "Honey, she's the queen. If she wants to be a bit late for breakfast, that's her call."

"I know." Anna shrugged. "I just worry about her, that's all."

"I'm sure all is well." Olaf reassured as Anna and Kristoff sat down. "She's probably out in the courtyard. You know how she loves snowy days."

The attendants served them breakfast. As they ate, they discussed what to do with their day off. Ideas bounced back and forth, with Olaf adding his thoughts now and then. Until Elsa and Victor came into the room, looking rather upset. Anna picked up on her sister's frustration right away and stood.

"Is something wrong, Elsa?"

Elsa groaned. "Some fool left the shutters in the furnace room open last night. The storm filled most of the shop with 3 feet of snow."

"Elsa got all the snow out," Victor added, "but everything is either soaked or frozen. It's a total mess down there."

Olaf commented, "Oh! Boy was I wrong."

As they joined Anna and Kristoff at the table, Elsa continued. "Luckily furnace 6 was at the far end of the room and stayed lit. The rest were drowned out. The foreman says it'll take all day just to dry them out."

"Sounds like another job for Princess Match!" Anna stated, running for the door before anyone could stop her. "Be right back!"

As Anna left, Victor suddenly realized something. That Olaf was a living, breathing snowman. As unusual as this was to him however, he kept his charming demeanor. Turning to Olaf, he commented, "I don't believe we've been introduced."

"Oh! I'm sorry!" Elsa piped. "Olaf, this is Prince Victor of Zalaria. An old friend from long ago. Victor, this is our royal advisor Olaf."

The two shook hands pleasantly, then Victor commented, "I must admit, you're not like any advisor I've met before."

"That's ok." Olaf smiled. "You're not like any prince I've ever met before."

Elsa's face went red. Kristoff tried not to snicker, but failed. Victor however sat up smiling and said, "Oh I like this little guy. He's got a quick wit."

As the attendants brought Elsa and Victor their meals, Kristoff questioned suspiciously, "Victor, how did you end up involved in this situation?" Elsa shot him a dirty look, to which he replied, "Just curious!"

Victor smiled. "Easy, traderman. I was up early and heading for the shop to work on my flyer. Elsa ran into me in the hall, literally. Knocked my flat on my backside. I tell you, this girl can run." He paused for a drink. "Anyways, when she told me of the emergency I offered my assistance."

"Oh." Kristoff replied sheepishly.

Elsa scowled at Kristoff. "Not that it's any of your concern."

"Whoa! Warm up a bit there, Icy!" Victor interjected. "He's your family, or at least will be. And you're his Queen. Of course he's gonna be watching out for you. Especially with a rogue like me roaming around the castle."

Victors charming smile disarmed Elsa's anger. "You're right Vikee."

Turning to Kristoff, Elsa said pleasantly, "Sorry for snapping at you. I guess I have to accept that you'll probably be as overbearing as my sister regarding my well-being."

Kristoff smiled in return. "Well…maybe not AS bad as Anna. She's set a pretty high bar for that!"

The 4 friends broke out laughing just as Anna returned from lighting the furnaces.

"Did I miss something?" she asked.

The storm raged on outside, trying its best to force its way through any crack or opening in the castle walls. Inside however, no-one seemed to notice, thanks in part to the workers maintaining the furnaces. But the main reason was the good company they kept. Nothing warmed the soul better than a good friend. And Elsa, Anna, Kristoff and Victor were no exceptions. It would have been a good time for Victor to be working on his flyer, but the 4 friends instead spent the day sharing stories and playing games, just like Anna, Elsa and Victor did long ago. Kristoff told tales of his life as an ice harvester. Anna shared stories her mother told her when she was very young. Victor drew pictures as he told of his many amazing inventions. And Elsa shared her adventures in ruling Arendelle, even if they weren't as interesting as the stories the others told. They challenged each other to different games. Elsa and Anna went head to head with checkers while Kristoff and Victor placed wagers on darts, which cost Kristoff a barrel of ale. There were many laughs had by all. But there was one thing Anna did notice.

"Elsa, are you there?"

Elsa sighed as she watched Victor throw darts, then Anna's question snapped her back.

"Oh! Right! Is it my turn?'

Anna grinned. "Care to tell me where you've been?"

"What do you mean?" Elsa asked as she moved her piece.

"Don't give me that." Anna replied. "You've got a thing for Victor."

Elsa suddenly sat straight up. "WHAT?! No, of course not! Stop being silly!" She then glanced over at Victor, who was talking Kristoff into another bet, then turned back to Anna.

Anna propped her head in her hands. "Mmm Hmm."

Elsa slumped in her chair and conceded. "Is it that obvious?"

"What's the big deal, Elsa?" Anna asked. "He's very good looking, fun to be around, very smart, and technically royalty. And there's also the biggest point."

"Which is?" Elsa asked.

Anna smiled. "You're both single."

Elsa sighed. "I wish it was that simple."

"Why isn't it?"

Elsa thought a moment. "It's hard to explain. I am attracted to him…"

"I can tell." Anna quipped.

"But even though he is a prince, he's so… common."

Anna sat up in her chair. "Careful Elsa. My fiancé is, well was, a commoner."

"I don't mean that the way it sounds." Elsa pleaded. "Look. It's considered acceptable for a princess to choose a commoner for a husband. But a queen can only couple with royalty. Victor may have royal blood, but beyond that he is as far from a prince as one can be. It couldn't possibly work between us."

"That's a load of cow manure!" Anna gripped. "What fool told you that?"

Elsa glared at her sister. "Our father."

"Oh." Anna replied, sinking in her chair. "But I still don't agree. True love has nothing to do with status. It's how he makes you feel inside that matters."

"I only wish that were true." Elsa replied sadly.

"Hey, Royal ladies!" Kristoff hollered. "Either of you want to take over here. Victor is bleeding me dry."

Anna looked to Elsa, who simply gave a nod.

"I'm in!" Anna called out. "Hope you're ready to have your butt handed to you, Vic."

Victor laughed out loud. "Ho ho! Looking to restore your hubbys honor?"

"Bring it, sweetie!"


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 5

The storm that raged the day before had passed overnight, leaving a thick blanket of snow that twinkled in the early morning sun. And throughout Arendelle village, people emerged from their homes to clear their doors and paths of the walls of snow that had piled up. That also meant that Elsa was busy organizing the cleanup effort around the kingdom and Kristoff, being the Royal Commodities Director, had his hands full seeing that the local distribution of goods was caught up. Everybody was busy doing something this morning.

Everyone that is, except Anna. Her royal duties list was empty, giving her a free choice of how she spent her day. She could have stayed with Elsa, maybe learn a few new things about ruling a kingdom. But anytime she did that her sister treated her like a student. And she didn't feel like going to school today. And Kristoff was usually so busy at times like this that he didn't seem to notice she was there. But he was very good at his job, and Anna did admire his dedication. Normally at times like this she would disappear into the vastness of the library in search of some fantasy world to explore. But today she had a new distraction available to her.

Anna strolled into the engineers shop, responding to the workers greetings as she passed. But as she approached the area where Victor's flyer was located, she was surprised to find Victor bent over, his upper body clearly inside the machine. She stood staring for a moment, before tapping his backside to get his attention. This resulted in a banging noise, followed by some foul language as Victor emerged from his machine, rubbing his head.

"Oh! Anna!" he exclaimed. "I didn't know it was you. Sorry 'bout the sailor language just now."

Anna smiled. "It's ok, Vic. I probably should have knocked on the flyer instead of your butt."

"So you didn't enjoy it, then?" Victor replied, raising one eyebrow and smirking.

Anna's face went bright red as she struggled to respond. But Victor saved her the embarrassment.

"So what brings you down here today?" he asked pleasantly. "Nothing princessly to do?"

Anna composed herself and replied." No. Elsa and Kristoff have work to do, but I'm on my own. How come you weren't at breakfast this morning?"

"Wanted to get an early start on the Dragon." he replied. "She took a bigger hit than I thought. I can fix it, but it'll take more time than I expected."

Anna looked at the flyer. To her it seemed like a pile of broken wood and canvas that couldn't serve any purpose, let alone fly. But then, she wasn't the one who built it.

"Is it that bad?" she asked.

"Well," he began, "the frame and wings need restructuring, and the canvas skin needs to be patched. But those are rather easy, maybe 3 days total. I'll have to carve a new airscrew, and that'll take a few days in itself. It's the engine that worries me."

"I'm guessing it didn't like being bounced off the ice?"

Victor smirked. "You got that right, Princess! Take a look here."

Victor guided Anna to a table that was covered with odd looking parts.

"These are the parts that make up the engine." He continued. "Luckily your engineers had the same tools I used to assemble it back home. But they don't have the metal casting equipment I used to mold these parts. And this one here is what worries me."

He picked up the part and handed it to Anna. Anna studied it closely. It was some kind of shaft with 4 arms branching out down its length, and it was quite heavy. Most likely made of iron. But as she looked it over, one detail jumped out at her.

"This end looks like something was broken off." She commented.

Victor perked up. "Good eye, Anna" he replied. "Took your engineers an hour to spot that."

He picked another piece off the table and held it to the broken end of the shaft.

"This is supposed to be attached here. It's where the airscrew attaches to the engine. But if I can't find some way to make these two pieces one solid shaft again, I'll have to cast a new one. Lookin at a week to make a sand mold if I can find the right sand mix, probably 3 days to melt enough iron, another week for the poured metal to cool, then about 4 days of finish polishing before I can put the engine back together."

"Couldn't you just cart this home on a sleigh?" Anna asked quizzically.

Victor crossed his arms and smirked. "What. Tired of my company already?"

Anna stammered, "Um... no. I mean…if you really need to…"

"I'm just teasing you!" Victor laughed. "And if it was summertime that would work. But it's a 3 day cart ride to Zalaria from here. And in this cold, that trip would be even more dangerous than flying."

Anna put her hand to her chin, clearly thinking. "Just how hot does the metal need to be to melt the parts back together?"

"Very." He replied. "Nearly white hot."

Anna put the shaft pieces down and handed Victor a pair of iron pliers. "Here. Hold the pieces together where they should be.

Victor looked confused, but did as he was told. Anna wrapped her hands around the joint and closed her eyes. As Victor watched, light appeared under her hands and the metal slowly changed color from its normal silver to orange to yellow to near white. "Now don't let them move." She stated before taking her hands off the part. Victor could feel the intense heat on his face as he looked at what was now a still glowing but perfectly joined repair.

Stunned, Victor commented, "How did you DO that?!"

"One of the benefits of my powers." Anna smiled. "Does it look like it'll do the job?"

"Are you kidding?' Victor cheered, "That looks almost newly cast. A little polishing and it'll be good as new. I could never have made a repair that good."

Anna smiled proudly as Victor set the shaft aside to cool. Then Victor commented, "You know more about tech than you're letting on, don't you."

"Only what I've read." She replied, "But there was nothing like what you've made in any of our libraries books."

Victor smiled. "Well if there's one thing I love doing is sharing my knowledge with those who want to know. You interested?"

"Oh yes! Please!" Anna cheered.

For the next few hours Victor explained the inner workings of his engine to Anna, identifying each part and describing what it did to make the engine run. She even helped him start carving a new airscrew, which shocked him. To his own royal family he was considered a misfit, and none of them cared for his inventions. The same could be said of most other royals he had met in the past. Yet here was the Princess of Arendelle, her hands, arms and dress covered in wood shavings and her smiling face lighting up the room as she helped him carve a plank of wood into an essential part of his flyer. Clearly Anna had an open mind, a point he found rather attractive. But he quickly dismissed that thought. She was engaged after all, and even though he was a bit of a rogue, he had a moral standard. You NEVER EVER mess with another man's woman.

A loud whistle blew in the shop. Anna and Victor stopped carving and noticed workers leaving their workspaces.

"What was that sound?" Anna asked one of the passing workers.

"That's the lunchtime signal, your highness." The worker replied.

Anna thanked him, then commented to Victor, "Wow. We've been at this a while. You hungry?"

Victor smiled. "I could eat."

The two helped brush the wood shavings off each other, then headed to the royal dining hall.

Anna and Victor were enjoying lunch together, seeing as they were the only ones there at the moment. As they ate, Victor told Anna of a few of his other ideas, to which Anna was enthralled. So much so in fact, that she almost didn't notice Kristoff coming in.

"Hi honey!" She called out, running to meet him with a big hug that he eagerly accepted. But as they released each other, Kristoff noticed something was amiss.

"Um…What is this, dear?" he asked as he brushed some stray wood shavings off his tunic.

Anna looked at Kristoff and giggled, "Oh! I'm sorry babe. I was helping Vic fix his flyer this morning. I thought I'd brushed all the shavings off. Guess I missed some."

Kristoff smiled. "And I was worried you'd be bored today."

"You're a lucky man Kris." Victor commented kindly. "I've met many royals in my time, but never one willing to get right in there and get their hands dirty."

Kristoff gave a confused expression. "Get right in there? What exactly were you doing, Anna?"

It was about that time that Elsa entered the dining hall, clearly in a good mood, and called out, "Good day everyone!"

They all stood respectfully, as required by royal protocol, then retook their seats once the queen was seated.

"Hi Elsa." Anna said. "How did the cleanup go?"

"Very well." Elsa replied. "The streets are cleared, and the businesses are all open. How about you, Kristoff?"

Kristoff smiled. "Almost all of the distributors are caught up. Just the ice to get sorted out now. Seems there was a small avalanche last night that blocked the road to the ice fields. But the harvesters have it dug out now, and it shouldn't take long to get things organized there."

"Wonderful!" Elsa replied. "I knew I could count on you."

Anna quipped, "Was there ever a doubt?" This brought small snickers around the table.

"How about you, Anna?" Elsa then asked, "Were you able to find something to do today?"

"Oh I had a great morning!" Anna chirped. "Vic and I worked on his flyer."

Elsa replied quizzically, "Really, you actually helped fix a machine?"

"Oh ya!" Victor interjected. "And thanks to her, I won't be pestering you for the next 6 weeks."

Kristoff piped up, "Ok. Now I have to hear this story."

"Well," Victor stated, "I'll make this simple. My landing, along with damaging the frame and wings, broke the crankshaft, a very important part of the engine. Would have taken 3 to 4 weeks to fabricate a new one from scratch. But Hotstuff here used her magic to weld the broken pieces back together. Now the crank is as good as new."

"Then," Anna continued, "Vic taught me all about his engine. All its parts, how it's made and how it works. It's an amazing piece of equipment."

"And after that," Victor added, "Anna helped me start carving a new airscrew. It was amazing! I mean, a princess actually doing manual work? Not something I've ever seen before."

Kristoff smiled, taking Anna's hand, and said, "But then Anna is no ordinary princess." Anna smiled in response.

"Can't argue with that!" Victor quipped. "So, thanks to Anna, I should have the Wooden Dragon back in the air in about a week, which is perfect. Don't want to overstay my welcome, after all."

Elsa turned to Victor and smiled brightly. "You don't need to rush your repairs. Take all the time you need to be sure your flyer will get you home safely. You'll always be welcome in Arendelle."

"Elsa," Victor commented, "I have visited many kingdoms, but you are the first ruler to say that to me. As such, I take it as a great honor. Thank you your majesty."

For a few moments, Elsa and Victor just looked into each other's eyes, seemingly lost in them. Then they both snapped back to the moment and resumed eating. Inside, Elsa hoped no-one had noticed, especially after the speech she had given Anna yesterday. Thankfully Kristoff had not seen the connection forming between them.

But Anna had.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 6

With lunch finished, it was time for everyone to get back to work. Elsa had gone to her office to go through a pile of royal requests that needed to be reviewed and approved. Victor returned to the engineers shop to resume his repair work. And Kristoff made his way back to the ice center, but this time he brought Anna with him. She welcomed the chance to watch her future husband at work. He was well respected by the ice harvesters, having been one of them himself. And though he was now in a command position over them, he never let it go to his head. He was the picture of authority here, and seeing this made Anna's heart flutter.

It didn't take long for Kristoff to get the ice center running smoothly again, leaving him the rest of the day to do as he pleased. The Pierside Café wasn't far away, so he and Anna decided that a nice hot drink would go well right now. As they sipped their drinks, they discussed their upcoming wedding. But Kristoff could see that Anna's mind was elsewhere.

"Ok, dear. What's eating you?" he asked

Anna popped up and replied, "Oh! What?"

Kristoff giggled. "I just asked what was on your mind. It doesn't seem to be our wedding."

"I'm sorry, love." She replied. "I'm just concerned about Elsa. Did you see how she's been eyeing Victor?"

Kristoff gave her an odd look. "Eyeing Victor? You mean like 'THE' eyeing?"

"That's exactly what I mean. She's got feelings for him. Real deep ones too."

Kristoff smiled. "What's so bad about that? We wanted her to find someone special for herself. What are you worried about?"

Anna explained. "Elsa told me yesterday that she couldn't be involved with Vic because, even though he is of royal blood, he doesn't live as a royal. Our father told her that a queen can only couple with a nobleman. And Vic is definitely not a nobleman."

"Now that's a crock!" Kristoff commented firmly.

"I know." Anna continued. "But there's more. While I was helping Vic this morning, he told me he didn't want to be connected to royalty. His own family shuns him for his behavior, and because of it he doesn't even like to acknowledge his royal heritage."

"Now that could be a problem." Kristoff stated. "I know how it feels to like someone you can't have."

Anna asked, "You do? How?"

"It's how I felt, "he replied, "when I was bringing you back to Hans."

Anna blushed lightly and took Kristoffs hand. "But that all worked out well in the end."

"I think it did." He smiled back. "And there's one other point to keep in mind."

"And that is?"

"That Elsa," he added, "is an adult, and the queen. We can advise her, but we can't stop her from liking who she chooses. All we can do is be there for her when she needs us."

Anna slumped. "You're right. I just don't want to see her get her heart broken."

"Are you sure they both told you everything?" Kristoff asked. "People don't always tell the whole story. Maybe there's some detail you don't know yet."

Anna smiled. "I hope you're right. There's nothing more I'd love to see than my sister as happy as I am with you."

Evening fell on Arendelle. And as the last rays of the sun peeked over the western horizon, Queen Elsa signed the last of a stack of royal requests that she had been reviewing all afternoon. She had had dinner brought to her office so she wouldn't have to stop reading while she ate. Now she stood at the window, looking out over the kingdom. Below her, light shined from windows everywhere. But one window caught her attention. Normally the engineering shop was dark now, the workers having returned home for the day. But now it was brightly lit. Perhaps Victor was putting in some extra time on his flyer, she thought. She hadn't seen his flyer yet, and now seemed like as good a time as any.

As Elsa walked into Victors work area, the first thing she noticed was the flyer, suspended from the ceiling and looking much more like a dragon in flight. Even from this viewpoint she could see that Anna was right. It was an amazing machine. Looking around the shop Elsa searched for Victor, who didn't seem to be here. She came across a table covered with strange metal items. Picking up a small item, she examined it closely. So closely, that she didn't hear Victor come in.

"Oil vaporizer." Victor commented.

Startled, Elsa dropped the item and spun around. "WHAT?!"

"You were checking out the oil vaporizer." He replied. "It turns the whale oil into a fine mist that burns inside the engine."

Elsa composed herself, retrieving the dropped part. "I'm sorry Vic. I hope I didn't break it."

"Not likely" he giggled. "It survived being slammed into the ice at high speed. A 3 foot drop is nothing."

Elsa handed the part to Victor, then gestured to the flyer. "So this is your flyer?"

"Queen Elsa," he smiled, "I present, The Wooden Dragon. The finest, and as far as I know, the only flying machine in existence."

"Very impressive!" Elsa commented. "It looks very much like a Night Fury. Is that where you got the inspiration for the design?"

Victor looked at Elsa oddly. "What's a Night Fury?"

Elsa giggled. "It's the species of dragon that the leader of the Dragon Riders of Berk uses."

"Ah!" Victor replied, pulling a drawing from his shirt pocket. "Does it look like this?"

Elsa studied the image. "Yes. That's definitely a Night Fury."

"I got this from a trader." Victor explained. "He claimed he had seen this flying past him with someone riding on its back. It sounded crazy at first, but after staring at it for a while, I realized I could build one myself. It took a lot of fails, but I final made one that works." He gesture to the flyer. "And there it is."

"And it's beautiful!" Elsa commented.

Victor replied. "Thanks. But it's nothing compared to your beauty."

Realizing what he'd said, his face blushed. He turned to Elsa to explain, only to find her looking at him with an expression that made it clear he had no need to explain. For a few moments they both stood silent, gazing into each other's eyes. Slowly the space between them got smaller and smaller, until their lips made contact. A strong feeling of energy passed between them, and suddenly nothing else mattered. Elsa then pulled away gently, her eyes still locked on his, and quickly undid her braid, letting her hair fall down her back.

"Wow!" Victor stated in amazement.

Elsa however said nothing, and instead resumed their kiss. For Victor and Elsa, nothing more needed to be said. What they felt right now was very clear to both of them.

Elsewhere in the palace was a room. In that room was a telescope. Normally telescopes point towards the stars. But this one pointed down on the village. And on the small end of the telescope was Princess Anna's eye.

"Why are you doing that, Anna?" Kristoff asked, clearly annoyed.

"I love people watching, babe." She replied. "You can learn so much just by watching others. Here. Look at this."

Kristoff begrudgingly peered through the eyepiece.

"Ok. I see an older couple having a fight."

"That's the Cormanans. They've been married nearly 30 years. Every night they fight like this. And yet they always make up. I'm trying to learn their secret to a long marriage."

"I can see your point." Kristoff conceded as he turned the scope. "Now I see an old man. He seems to be pouring water in barrels."

"He's at it again." Anna grumbled. "That's probably old man Richten, the pub owner. He's always watering down the ale."

Kristoff stood. "Really? I'll have to have a few words with him about that."

"Look some more!" Anna encouraged.

Kristoff complied, scanning over the village until something caught his attention.

"Oh! THIS looks interesting."

"Tell me! Tell me!" Anna pleaded.

"A young couple, I think. And it looks like they are very much in love. Wonder who they are?"

"Here." Anna stated as she switched the telescopes lens. "Can you see closer now?'

"Much closer." He replied. "They're both very good looking. She just dropped her dress to the floor."

"I learned a lot like this too." Anna giggled.

"Whoa! Now they're….AAAAHH!"

Kristoff pulled away from the telescope, jumping around the room with his hands over his eyes. "NO NO NO NO NO!"

Anna asked. "What? What did you see?"

She peered through the scope. "What's wrong? They aren't doing any….."

Anna suddenly stood up poker straight, eyes wide as dinner plates, and stammered, "I DID NOT NEED TO SEE THAT!"

Anna and Kristoff had discovered too late that the window they were peering into was the royal engineers shop. And the young couple they had caught in more than a passionate embrace…

were Victor and Elsa.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 7

Anna took a bite of her eggs. They were their usual excellent quality, but this morning they just didn't taste the same. It could have been because she hadn't slept a wink last night. For her, it seemed like an image had been burned onto the inside of her eyelids. Whenever she closed her eyes, she saw the disturbing image of her sister and Victor in the engineers shop. In her mind she fought herself. She shouldn't be this upset with what she saw. Elsa was an adult. And if she found someone to share her love with, then Anna should be happy for her. So why did this affect her so?

A short time later Kristoff arrived, taking a seat beside his fiancé. He seemed to be well rested and in a good mood. He noticed however that Anna did not look well and commented.

"I'm guessing you didn't sleep too well last night."

"Try not at all." Anna grumbled. "I just couldn't shake off what we saw. Every time I closed my eyes I saw Victor and my sister…"

"Improving personal relations?" Kristoff interrupted.

Anna glared in response.

Kristoff smiled. "I think you may be taking it a little personal."

"Oh really." She said angrily. "And you aren't?"

"Nope." He replied, taking a bite of his breakfast. "Wanna know why?"

Again Anna glared at him.

Because," he continued, "Elsa is a grown woman. Queen or not, sister or not, she still thinks and feels the same as any of us. Did she ever find out about what we did in the stables during her coronation party?"

Anna shuffled slightly in her chair. "Um…no."

Kristoff smiled. "And what would you have said if she had?"

"Probably would have told her to mind her own business." She replied.

"Exactly!" Kristoff continued. "What you and I do in private is our business, and what Elsa does and who she does it with is hers. So we should allow at least that respect."

Anna thought a moment, then smiled. "You're right dear. I shouldn't be making such a big deal about this. It's Elsa's life to live, and it is about time she lived it."

"Now you've got it." Kristoff replied happily.

Without another word they resumed eating their meals. And to Anna, it now tasted good. Once again Kristoffs simple but effective logic pulled her though a rough spot. But that success was tested as Elsa entered the dining hall, looking quite different. Normally she was dressed and groomed before coming to breakfast. But today she was still in her nightgown and robe, her long flowing hair hanging freely down her back, and a very noticeable look to complete contentment on her face. Anna noted that she seemed to be humming a rather perky tune as well. And while it was all a good different, it was still very different.

"Good morning Elsa!" Kristoff called out.

Elsa sighed happily as she took her seat, "Hmmm. It certainly is, Kristoff. And you two?"

"I'm great!" Kristoff replied.

"I didn't sleep too well." Anna stated. "Too much on my mind last night."

"Oh no." Elsa replied sympathetically. "Do you have a busy day scheduled?"

Elsa's exceedingly kindly demeanor took Anna by surprise. Elsa had always been the sympathetic type, but this was far beyond anything she had seen from her sister before.

"Um…no." She replied. "Nothing on the books that I know of."

Elsa smiled. "That's good then. Feel free to go back to bed if you wish. No point in forcing yourself to stay awake needlessly."

"Um… ok." was all the answer Anna could manage. Kristoff however wasn't so affected by Elsa's new personality, and asked,

"You haven't by chance seen Victor today, have you Elsa? He seems to have skipped breakfast this morning."

"Actually I have." She replied. "He was up early and chose to get back to work on his flyer. Thanks to Anna's help, he's ready to put the engine back together. If all goes well, he thinks he'll be able to test run it this afternoon. Won't that be exciting?"

Anna asked, "If he was up early, when did he tell you that?"

Kristoff shot her a dirty look. But Elsa replied, "I was up earlier as well. We met in the hallway."

"Mmm Hmm." Anna replied, noting that Elsa didn't look at her when she answered.

Under the table, Kristoffs boot shot out, making a perfect hit on Anna's left shin. Anna cried out in pain and reached down for her leg.

"Anna," Elsa asked worriedly, "Are you alright?"

Anna glared at Kristoff a moment, then replied. "I'm ok. Just a leg cramp."

"Leg cramps are often caused by a lack of proper sleep." Kristoff commented. "Maybe you're sister's right dear. You should head back to bed."

Anna was about to object, but Kristoff was already helping her to her feet. The look on his face gave a clear message. 'Don't argue. Let's go!' Instead of fighting it, Anna replied, "Maybe you're right. I am feeling a bit run down."

"Excellent idea." Elsa commented pleasantly. "Sleep well, sister. Arendelle will still be here when you wake."

Anna and Kristoff hid the fact that Elsa was creeping them out by politely excusing themselves. Once they had cleared the door, Kristoff whispered to Anna, "Ok. I admit it. That was strange."

"You don't think Victor used some kind of spell on her, do you?" Anna asked him.

Kristoff thought a moment, then replied, "No. That's not his style. He's an inventor, not a sorcerer."

As they walked towards Anna's room, Anna thought hard. What could turn an elegant and pristine young woman into a love-struck schoolgirl so quickly? Suddenly she stopped dead in her tracks, causing Kristoff to bump off of her and slam into the wall.

"What's going on?" he asked rubbing his shoulder.

Anna's face beamed. "I've figured it out! Elsa's not sick or under a spell, she's head over heels in LOVE!"

Kristoff planted his palm to his forehead. "Oh no!"

The day continued on as it always had. Elsa and Kristoff carried out their duties while Anna caught up on much needed sleep, as her sister had ordered. Victor continued working on his flyer, but now he seemed to be working with a sense of urgency. Even the workers he had recruited to help noticed that he wasn't his normal humorous self, but instead was very focused and intent on completing his repairs. Even when he started the engine, while the workers cheered, he studied it careful, watching for any leaks or problems, without so much as cracking a smile. But why the sudden urgency? Was there some reason he needed to finish repairs and leave Arendelle quickly?

It was now early evening and Victor had again skipped dinner. Anna was still fast asleep, leaving Elsa and Kristoff to eat by themselves. This gave Kristoff the chance to talk to Elsa alone, and hopefully find just how serious Elsa's infatuation with Victor was.

"Kristoff!" Elsa stated, "That's hardly an appropriate question!"

"I'm sorry, "he replied pleasantly. "I'm just trying to understand what everyone is saying about you is all."

"And what exactly are they saying?" she smiled.

Trying to word it politely, Kristoff answered, "Well, many have mentioned that you and Victor have gotten very close. Some have even claimed that you are hopelessly in love with him. I know it sounds absurd."

"Very absurd!" Elsa replied.

Kristoff just stared at her for a moment. Elsa tried to hold her composure, but…

"Oh! You're as bad as my sister!" she laughed. "You both get this look on your face that I just can't seem to lie though."

Kristoff chuckled, "I've learned a few things from her. Now come on. Out with it."

Unable to withstand the truth stare Kristoff had given her, she opened up to him, leaving out the more personal details. A few of which unfortunately Kristoff had already seen for himself. Of course, he didn't let her know. He simply responded by saying,

"Yep! You've got it bad, all right!"

Elsa conceded, "Yes. I suppose I do. But it feels so amazing. It's like I wasn't really alive until now."

"Just be careful. "Kristoff stated more seriously. "Being in love can make you feel great, but it can also tear you apart inside. And both do happen to everyone at some point."

Elsa quipped, "Where did you learn so much about love?"

"I've been around the fjord a time or two." He grinned. "And learned a few lessons the hard way."

"Well then I'm very fortunate to have your wisdom to draw on." She replied.

"Anytime." Kristoff responded as he stood. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I promised Sven I'd take him out for a run after dinner."

"Of course." Elsa replied pleasantly.

With Anna still sleeping and Kristoff out with Sven, Elsa decided it would be a good time to go down to the engineers shop to visit Victor. She hadn't seen or heard much of him all day, and the thought of seeing him again made her heart flutter. As she walked, she hummed a cherry tune and occasionally skipped a step or two, not caring who may see her. The normally long walk to the shop seemed to take no time at all, and Elsa found herself looking out into the shop, and seeing no-one. Everyone had already gone home for the day. 'Great opportunity', Elsa thought to herself. But as she moved to the far end of the shop, something seemed out of place. The Wooden Dragon was missing. And where it should have been, only hanging ropes and sawhorses remained. An unpleasant ache began to form in her chest. Did he finish his repairs and leave without even saying goodbye? He wouldn't do that, would he?

As Elsa searched the shop, she found a normally unused corridor. At the end was a large wooden door. And Victors flyer, seemingly ready to fly, minus the airscrew on the nose. An open man door led Elsa to think Victor may have gone outside. And as she stuck her head out the door, sure enough there was Victor, sitting on a barrel rubbing a fine stone on the airscrew.

"Hi, Vic!" Elsa called out.

Victor looked up from his work and replied. "Oh. Hi Elsa. How's it going?"

"I was wondering where you've been all day." She asked as she walked over to him. "I've missed you."

Victor kept working. "Down here. Just getting the Dragon going."

Elsa could sense something wasn't right, but tried to keep the conversation going.

"So how much did you get done today?"

Without missing a stroke, Victor replied flatly, "Actually it's almost done. One more coat of varnish on the airscrew and a few bolts, and she'll be ready to fly."

Now Elsa was getting worried.

"You got the engine running? Why didn't you send for me?"

"I was kind of on a roll with it. Didn't want to lose momentum." He replied, this time sounding a little annoyed.

Now Elsa knew something was wrong, and she knelt in front of him, looking up into his face.

"Baby, please tell me what's wrong." She pleaded softly.

Victor stopped his work, and for a few moments said nothing. Then he closed his eyes and replied. "Elsa, what are you doing?"

"What do you mean?" Elsa asked worriedly.

Victor opened his eyes and looked straight into hers. "The mushy stuff. The skipping about like a child. Everyone's talking about it. They're saying that you and I are some hot item."

Elsa smiled. "Well we are a couple, aren't we?"

Victor stood forcefully, almost knocking Elsa over, and replied in a gruff voice. "NO, we're NOT!"

Victor's harsh response hit Elsa hard. The earlier ache she felt in her chest began to grow.

Standing herself, she asked, "Vic, I don't understand. I thought that last night…"

"Last night, "Victor interrupted, "was amazing, I will give you that. But just because we rocked the castles foundation doesn't mean we are a couple."

Elsa could only stand silent. She could feel the tears welling in her eyes and her heart starting to crumble.

"Look Elsa." He continued. "It's very simple. Last night was the result of two people needing something from each other. Basic, uncontrollable animal passion. And I believe, that need has been fulfilled. Time to move on."

Inside Elsa a battle raged. One part of her wanted to collapse in tears and beg Victor to reconsider. Another part wanted to charge at him like a raging beast and claw his eyes out. But the part that won out was the queen within her.

"I see." She sobbed, holding her composure as best she could as tears streamed down her cheeks. "Well then I guess there is nothing more to be said."

Victor stated dryly. "The Wooden Dragon will be ready tomorrow. I'll leave as soon as the airscrew is mounted."

"I said yesterday," she struggled to say, "that you could take as much time as you needed to be sure the flyer will bring you home safely. And when I say something I mean it. Please don't try to leave Arendelle until you're sure your machine is ready."

"As you wish, your majesty." Victor said coldly.

At that Elsa turned and began walking away. A walk that quickly became a full run along the castle wall. Victor could hear her sobbing even at this distance. And as she disappeared from sight, Victors face turned from angry to sad and he whispered,

"I'm so sorry, Icy. But I have no choice."


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 8

A bright moon hung above Arendelle that night, bathing the kingdom in a soft blue/white light. And at this time of night, the only lights to be seen were the streetlamps, much to Anna's chagrin. She had been asleep all day, and was now wide awake. She had been scanning around the village with her telescope, but every home and shop was dark and quiet.

As she sat at her window looking out over the kingdom, she suddenly realized that she wasn't just very awake, she was very hungry. As princess, she could easily order someone to get up and make her some food, but that wasn't her way. And for her, it was a bit of an adventure searching the kitchen for something tasty.

Upon arriving at the kitchen, Anna saw that the only light in the room was from the fireplace. But she had a way to fix that. With a snap of her fingers all the wall sconce candles lit up, bringing the room to full light. Anna commented smugly, "It's good to be me."

Now that she could see, her hunt began. She went from one cupboard to the next, not knowing what she was looking for. But she'd know when she saw it. And there was plenty to choose from. But when something did catch her eye, it wasn't food. On the floor near her feet was a trail of water drops. Following the trail, Anna found herself at the ice room door. Her curiosity peaked, she opened the door and slipped inside.

The room itself was quite large, with rows of shelves filled with cold food. Normally Anna would go straight to the shelf where the chocolate was stored, but that's not where the trail led. Instead it went to the far end of the room, turning left at the wall. Anna followed it. But as she turned the corner, she stopped dead in her tracks. For huddled in the corner, surrounded by frost covered walls and floor, was her sister.

"Don't come near me!" Elsa sobbed. "I can't control my powers. I don't want to hurt you!"

Anna knew the only reason Elsa's powers could get out of control was for Elsa to be afraid or very upset. And seeing that her sister needed her, she ignored Elsa's warning. Instead she rushed over and kneeled next to Elsa, taking her hands. The only result, two small puffs of steam.

Anna smiled and said calmly, "You can't hurt me with your powers, Elsa."

Elsa looked at their hands for a moment, then to Anna's face, and threw her arms around her sister, breaking into tears. Anna held her tightly, allowing her time to let it all out. Even though she had no clue what was wrong. After a few minutes Elsa had calmed enough to speak.

"Oh Anna." She sobbed, "I've been such an idiot. I let my feelings overrule my good judgment and completely disgraced myself."

Anna patted her back and replied, "I'm sure it's not that bad, Elsa."

Sitting up, Elsa blubbered. "You don't understand, Anna. Victor hates me!"

"WHAT?! You can't be serious!"

"It's true." Elsa replied, pulling herself together. "Everything we felt over the past few days, well, turns out it was all just me. Oh! How could I have been so blind?'

Anna gave a very confused look. "But you were so happy this morning."

Elsa's lower lip started to quiver.

Anna got up, took something off a nearby shelf then returned. Sitting back down and handing Elsa a large piece of chocolate, she suggested. "Start at the beginning. And we'll figure this out together."

Elsa began." When I first saw him, the day he crashed on the fjord, a lot of memories came flooding back. All the good times we had. Even then he was rather cute."

"Mmm Hmm." Anna commented.

"But I couldn't help seeing how attractive a man he became. And I couldn't help certain feelings from coming out. Oh how I tried to keep them deep within."

"I could tell." Anna quipped.

Elsa gave her a dirty look then continued. "But even though it was such a short time, I couldn't stop them. Whenever I closed my eyes I saw his face. If my mind wasn't focused on duties, it was on him. Sometimes even during my duties."

"It's called love at first sight." Anna grinned. "It's the plot of a lot of books."

"Does love at first sight lead to…." Elsa hesitated, searching for the proper expression.

"Rattling the workbench?" Anna suggested.

Elsa's face turned red as she exclaimed, "How did you know about that?!"

Anna shied away. "I was teaching Kristoff to people watch with my telescope. He accidentally found that someone had left the shops shutters wide open."

Elsa covered her face in embarrassment. But Anna was quick to reassure her.

"Elsa, it's ok. It happens to everyone. Even me. You lose yourself in the rush of incredible feelings. Totally normal."

"When did it happen to you?" Elsa asked.

"Um…" she replied shyly, "the stables during your coronation party."

"ANNA!" Elsa exclaimed.

"What?" Anna asked. "You know what it's like!"

Elsa conceded. "I'm sorry. You're right. It's just not something I want to think about."

"You think it's bad for you?" Anna giggled. "Try catching your sister in the act!"

"OH GOSH, NO!" Elsa laughed.

For a few minutes, Elsa and Anna laughed, joked and shared some chocolate.

Then Anna questioned. "Ok. So everything sounds good so far. Where'd things start going wrong between you and Victor?"

Elsa composed herself. "That's the problem. I didn't see it coming. After I sent you back to bed I had some duties to take care of. That took me till just after dinner. But Victor hadn't come to see me at any point."

"Maybe he was caught up in his repairs." Anna suggested. "He was ready to put the engine back together."

"I thought that too. That when I decided to go down and see him. I thought he'd be happy to see me. But…" Elsa went silent.

"But what?" Anna asked

Elsa took a breath, then continued. "But when I found him, he had the flyer almost complete, including the engine. And when I tried to talk to him he acted like I was just annoying him."

"Did he tell you why?"

Elsa's eyes began to well up. "He said that what we did last night was meaningless. It was just two people feeling the same need. And that we weren't a couple and never were."

Anna suddenly burst into flame, her face clearly showing her anger. "THAT RAT!"

"Um…Anna," Elsa calmly mentioned, "You're flaring."

Anna pulled herself together, and the flames ceased.

"Sorry!" She responded. "But that just burns me. What gives him the right to treat you like a used handkerchief? To just…USE you, then toss you aside?"

"I feel much better now." Elsa said flatly.

A thump from the kitchen caught their attention. Quietly, they both moved to the door. Elsa peeked through the small window and saw someone going through the cupboards, probably looking for a snack. But when the person turned around, Elsa gasped and dropped to the floor.

"It's Victor!" She whispered. "What is he doing here at this hour?"

Elsa moved aside to let Anna see. She watched him for a few moments, then growled, "I don't know. But he'll wish he had skipped the late night snack when I'm done with him."

Anna waited till Victors back was turned, then grabbed the door handle.

"Ok, Elsa. You wait here. You're in no shape to face him right now."

And before Elsa could say any more, Anna was out the door, tiptoeing towards the kitchen door so Victor would think she had just walked in. Elsa watched quietly through the ice room door, hoping Anna wouldn't take things too far.

"Late night snack attack?" Anna called out from the doorway.

Victor looked back and replied. "OH. Hi Anna. You're up late."

Anna took a few steps, and trying to control her temper, answered, "I didn't sleep at all last night, so Elsa sent me back to bed this morning. I finally woke up 2 hours ago."

"Elsa always was kind hearted." Victor commented. "One of her many great qualities."

Victor's kind words about her sister now, after how he had treated her earlier, infuriated Anna. No longer able to control her anger, she threw a small fireball at Victor, turning the sandwich he had made into a pile of ash before his eyes. Victor jumped back, turned around, and lost all the color in his face. Looking back at him was not the sweet little Anna he knew, but a VERY angry version of Anna holding fireballs and glaring at him with a look that could kill all by itself.

Holding his hands up, Victor stammered. "Um…Ok…You're angry! I get that. But before you blast me, could you at least tell me what I did wrong?"

"HOW DARE YOU DISHONOR MY SISTER!" the angry Anna growled. From inside the ice room, Elsa gasped. She had heard stories Anna's anger during the Battle of Arendelle, but had never seen it herself. Even for Elsa, it was a horrifying sight.

"I understand." Victor calmly replied, "But there are two sides to every story. Will you let me tell you mine?"

For a moment Anna did nothing. Then, to Victor's relief, she put out the fireballs and stood upright. Still growling, she said, "Very well. But you'd better have a really good explanation. The last time someone hurt my sister, I sent a fleet of warships to the bottom of the fjord."

Elsa sighed in relief. She wasn't happy with what Victor had done to her, but she certainly didn't want him dead. And seeing her sister stand up for her like this made her feel a bit better as well.

Victor took a deep breath. "Ok. For starters, tell me what you know."

Anna calmed herself and began telling Victor everything Elsa had told her. He stood quietly, paying close attention to every word. From the window on the ice room door Elsa could see Victor's expression showing signs of sadness.

Anna stopped speaking, and Victor responded. "I understand so far."

"Then there's last night's activities in the engineers shop." Anna commented.

But before Anna could continue, Victor stated, "Yes. The engineers shop, her bedroom, and 3 stops in between. All true."

Elsa face palmed, letting out a quiet but frustrated groan. Anna however was take back by Victor's confession.

"Whoa!" she stated with a surprised tone. "I didn't know she had it in her."

"I'm sure there was more to the story." Victor inquired.

"Yes" Anna replied, her growling voice returning. "Seems that you avoided Elsa all day, and she went to see you a while ago you shunned her off. You told her that everything that she had felt between the two of you was all in her head, and that your time together meant nothing to you."

"Yes. I did say that." Victor said sadly.

"So let me get this straight." Anna growled even more harshly. "You crash in Arendelle, accept our kindness and take advantage of my sister, and think you can just fly off in the night like it never happened?"

"THAT'S NOT TRUE!" Victor screamed, slamming his hands on the counter.

Anna jumped back from Victor's unexpected reaction. Even Elsa gasped in surprise. Victor took a few deep breaths, then continued.

"Firstly, I had never planned on coming to Arendelle. I only wound up her because of a choice I made over the North Sea. To go left or right around a storm. I chose left. If I had known then what I know now, I would have gone right."

"Fine. So your arrival was an accident." Anna stated.

"As far as your kindness," he continued, "Yes, I did accept it freely. It was the first time I'd ended up anywhere that I was welcomed so warmly. Usually I'm treated like an invader, even in Zalaria."

"I can see your point there." Anna replied.

"As for Elsa," he said solemnly, "You claim I took advantage of her. Would you still say that if you knew that I've loved her since we were children?'

In the ice room Elsa gasped, unable to believe what she had just heard. Anna stood silent for a moment, also in disbelief.

Victor continued. "That's the truth. I've never been able to forget her, despite Arendelle's lockdown keeping us apart all those years. I've never even been in a real relationship because no girl I've met could compare to Elsa's beauty and charm. Seeing her out on the ice a few days back made me feel alive for the first time since we were both 7 years old. And seeing how she'd grown into such an amazingly beautiful woman just set my heart on fire. Do you have any idea what that feels like?"

Anna conceded, "I thought I did once. But that was a mistake."

"You mean Prince Hans of the Southern Isles, right?" he asked.

Anna nodded shyly.

Victor added. "I met him once during my travels. What a weenie!"

Elsa, who had been listening intently, stifled a giggle at Victors comment.

"If that's true," Anna resumed calmly, "then why did you treat her so badly earlier? You know you practically crushed her heart, right."

This was the answer Elsa wanted, and she did her best to hear every word.

"Because she's a queen." He sighed. "And I'm just a homeless wanderer."

Anna raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean homeless? Aren't you a prince of Zalaria?"

"Technically yes. But because I don't behave like a prince, I'm shunned by my family. True, I still have a place in Zalaria, but why would anyone want to stay where they know they aren't wanted? That's why my shop back home is in the farmlands, not the palace."

"Whoa. That's cold." Anna stated.

Having Anna's full attention and Elsa listening quietly from the ice room, Victor continued.

"I had to push Elsa away somehow. I have become so accustomed to travelling that I can't stay in one place for long without getting into some kind of trouble. She deserves someone stable. Someone who can be here for her anytime she needs him. And as much as I love her, I know that that's not me. I spent much of the day trying to think of the best way to let her go while hurting her as little as possible."

"I think you blew it." Anna commented.

"Did I?" Victor questioned "If I left right now, she'd feel badly for a little while, but she would get over it and move on, right?"

Anna agreed.

"If however I tried to explain to her what I've told you, she would most likely feel as empty as I do now for a painfully long time. Or she would try to convince me to stay, forcing me to do or say something even worse. Or she might choose to come with me. And I will NOT be the man who stole Arendelles queen."

"Wow." Anna stated. "So you're willing to sacrifice your own lifelong happiness so that Elsa can find hers again just because you don't think you're worthy of her?"

"Way to sum it up. Anna." Victor replied flatly.

"Don't you think Elsa should at least know how you feel before you go?" Anna pleaded.

Victor answered gruffly, "Trust me. It's easier for both of us this way."

Anna's head fell. "If that's how you feel."

At that, Victor excused himself and left the kitchen, followed shortly by Anna. Leaving Elsa still hiding in the Ice room.

A tear rolled down Elsa's cheek. Not one of pain or sadness, but joy. Victor did love her after all. He had caused her pain to protect her from what he perceived as a worse pain. And in a few hours he climb into his flyer and disappear forever. Her expression changed from teary joy to one of determination.

She could not let that happen.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 9

Eggs sunny side up, bacon, home fried potatoes and a tall glass of orange juice. A perfect sunny breakfast for a perfect sunny day. But no sunny breakfast could penetrate the dark cloud that hung over the breakfast table this morning. Elsa sat straight up, her face expressionless as she ate. Anna and Kristoff, in contrast, wore worried expressions. Anna had told Kristoff everything Victor had told her last night, forgetting that Elsa had also heard the conversation. Now she and Kristoff just watched Elsa as she ate, hoping for a sign that the pleasant person she used to be was still there.

"I went down to the engineers shop this morning." Kristoff commented solemnly. "I'm afraid the flyer is gone."

Anna replied with a frustrated tone, "I can't believe he did that. Just sneak out without even saying goodbye? What a coward!"

"Victor made it clear that it was his intent to do so." Elsa stated flatly. "At least he was honest about it."

"Honest or not," Kristoff replied angrily, "it was still cowardly. No self-respecting man would do that to a woman. It's just so infuriating."

Without looking at him, Elsa said, "Calm yourself, Kristoff. There's no point in letting your emotions run away. What's done is done."

"I'll bet he's a hundred miles away by now." Anna growled.

A commotion in the hallway caught Anna's and Kristoff's attention, while Elsa continued eating unaffected. After a few moments of shouting from the hallway, Victor came charging into the dining hall. Looking squarely at Anna he bellowed,

"ALRIGHT, YOU! WHERE IS IT?!"

Anna and Kristoff jumped up, while Elsa seemed to be oblivious to the commotion. As Victor moved toward Anna, Kristoff blocked his way.  
"Hold it there, Victor!"

"My beef isn't with you, Iceboy! Get out of my way!" Victor growled

Kristoff glared in response. "Take one more step towards my fiancé and I'll see to it you go back to Zalaria in a cheese crate!"

Victor reeled backwards a few steps, took a deep breath and replied calmly. "I'm sorry. You're right. But I do have a bone to pick with her."

"Then tell me what the problem is, "Kristoff stated, "and I'll see what I can do."

Victor began. "Fine. This morning I was prepping the flyer to leave. Filled the tanks, loaded some provisions, checked the flight controls, even pushed it out onto the ice by myself. But when I tried to start it, guess what happened."

"I'll guess that it didn't start." Anna replied

"Give the girl a prize!" Victor continued. "I even tried a few more times before popping the engine cover and checking it out. And it didn't take me long to find the problem."

Kristoff asked, "And that would be?"

"Someone had stolen the oil vaporizer nozzle." Victor replied angrily.

"What does it look like?" Kristoff asked.

"It's a small brass cone, about an inch tall." Victor answered. "And the engine won't run without it. Now I've already grilled most of the engineering staff, to no avail. So that only leaves one person with the knowledge of how the engine works AND a reason to keep me here. Any idea who that may be?"

Kristoff looked to Anna. "He makes a good point, dear."

"Wait What?!" Anna replied, clearly shocked. "You don't really think I did it, do you?"

"Well, yes. Actually." Victor responded sarcastically.

"Anna," Kristoff said, "Be honest. Did you steal Victor's engine part?"

Anna was now getting upset. "Honey! NO! I would never…"

"Then that settles that." Kristoff stated. "If she says it wasn't her, then I believe her."

"*-/Is that so?" Victor responded angrily, "and I'm supposed to just accept her word?"

"AHEM!" a gentle voice called out.

All three turned towards the source of the voice and stood in stunned silence. Elsa had turned her chair towards the group, and was now sitting with one leg over the other, her body leant to the right, her right elbow on the table, her chin resting in her right palm, an extremely smug smile on her face, and the pilfered part perfectly perched on the end of her right pinky finger.

"Looking for this?" Elsa asked slyly, waving her pinky.

For a few seconds, no-one could respond. Then Victor finally said, "Um…Kris? It would appear that I owe you and you're fiancé a huge apology."

"It's ok." Kristoff replied. "I think we're just as surprised as you."

"You Elsa?" Anna asked, "But Why? How?"

Elsa stood and began strolling slowly around the room. "Well Anna, after hearing Victor's true feelings, I realized I couldn't just let him fly off with so much left unresolved. So I slipped down to the shop. Luckily for me Victor had explained how the oil vaporizer works, giving me an easily recognizable way to disable his flyer without permanently damaging it. It took me a little time to figure out how to use a wrench, but after that it was easy."

Victor glared at Anna, but Anna responded, "Whoa! I didn't say anything!"

"Anna never told me, Victor." Elsa stated. "She just forgot that I was in the ice room the whole time."

Anna put her hand to her mouth. "Oh No! Elsa I'm so sorry!"

"It's fine, Anna." Elsa smiled. "Cold doesn't bother me. And it did let me hear every word of a conversation that should have been between Victor and myself."

Elsa rounded the table, coming to a stop in front of Victor. Looking into her eyes, Victor fumbled for words.

"Um… Elsa. I…"

Elsa put a finger to his mouth.

"Victor, let me tell you something my mother told me long ago. When my father and mother first met, it wasn't an easy courtship. As was typical, father tried his best to impress mother, with little luck. Until one day, they were taking a walk in the forest and mother commented that she missed the fresh food from home. So father dove into the bushes and killed a wild boar, offering to have it prepared any way she liked."

Anna commented. "That's such a sweet gesture."

"True, it would have been," Elsa continued. "Had mother not been a dedicated vegetarian."

"Ooh! Epic fail!" Kristoff quipped

Elsa giggled. "Not so epic, Kristoff. Father's gift didn't earn him mother's affections, but it did show her the quality she needed to see. He was willing to risk serious injury to himself to please her, even if he showed it by offering her a dead animal."

Victor looked confused. "Elsa, I'm not sure I understand."

"Neither did I." Elsa stated. "Until mother said it like this. 'The best men often do the wrong thing for the right reason'."

Victor stood silent, pondering Elsa's words, as Anna and Kristoff grinned.

"Victor, we are going to have a long and detailed discussion privately in my office." Elsa gently ordered, provocatively tucking the nozzle into the front of her dress.

"And you're not getting that back until I am thoroughly satisfied that every detail has been explored and resolved."

Victor smiled. "Of course, my queen."

It had been a long 5 hours for Anna and Kristoff as they waited to learn the outcome of Elsa and Victor's discussion. Now, with the sky clear and the sun high, Elsa, Anna and Kristoff stood on the ice watching as Victor prepped the Wooden Dragon for flight. Elsa had revealed little about her discussion, and it was driving Anna crazy.

"Elsa! Come on! You can't keep us in the dark forever!"

Elsa giggled. "Not yet Anna."

"Your sister never was much for patience." Kristoff joked. Anna responded by punching him in the arm.

As they watched, Victor closed the engine cover. He then reached into the pilot section and set the controls, double check the ropes securing the flyer to the ice, then walked around to the nose. He then turned the airscrew slowly a few times before giving it a hard pull. The engine sputtered. One more hard pull and the airscrew began to spin, the engine puffing black smoke out the rear of the flyer. Victor ran to the controls and made a few adjustments, and the engine began to run smoothly.

Victor then ran back to the others saying, "She'll need some time to warm up."

Elsa wrapped her arms around him. "Good. Gives me a bit more time right here."

Anna and Kristoff smiled. It was good to see Elsa happy again.

"So," Anna asked excitedly, "now will you tell us?"

Victor chuckled, then replied. "We've decided that we each have to be what we are. Elsa queen of Arendelle, myself a roaming explorer."

"But that doesn't mean," Elsa continued, "that we can't be in love."

"And who knows?" Victor added. "Maybe having a wonderful woman waiting for me will be enough to break my need to travel."

Kristoff commented, "Grandpabbie once told me 'True love is the strongest force in the world, stretching great distances to bring two people together'."

"If that's true," Anna added, "then maybe the strength of your love will guide you back to Arendelle soon."

Victor laughed. "And if that don't work, the map Elsa made me promise to use certainly will."

"Oh! Before I forget." Elsa exclaimed, "I had this made some time ago. I'd like you to have it."

Elsa handed Victor a drawing of herself in an ornate frame. Written at the bottom of the picture were the words:

"Though we must remain apart,

We'll be together in my heart.

Love: Queen Elsa of Arendelle."

Victor looked at the gift and smiled.

"I'll hang it on my control panel." He replied graciously. "That way I'll have something beautiful to look at during the long oversea flights."

Elsa blushed at Victors comment.

"And Kristoff and I have this for you as well." Anna said, handing him a large envelope.

Taking it in hand, Victor asked, "What is it?"

"A royal wedding invitation." Kristoff replied. "On behalf of my fiancé and myself, we would consider it an honor if you would attend."

"Hmm." Victor replied. "A welcoming kingdom, the love of my life, a map to find my way and now a royal wedding invite?" He looked down at Elsa. "Looks like I've got plenty of good reasons to come back soon."

Elsa held him tighter, then said, "As much as I hate to say it, if you're going to go you should go now. It's getting late in the day."

"I've never been someplace I didn't want to leave until now." He replied sadly, "But you're right. I am burning daylight."

For a few moments Victor and Elsa gazed into each other's eyes, then Victor leaned down, placing his lips to hers. Anna and Kristoff respectfully turned away while Elsa and Victor exchanged their silent farewells. As they finally released each other, Victor then turned to Anna and Kristoff. 

"Well." He chimed. "Time for me to get in the wind."

Kristoff smiled. "Safe travels, my friend."

"Don't stay away too long." Anna added pleasantly.

With that, Victor ran to the flyer, pulled out the tie downs and climbed in. With a smooth push on the throttle lever the engine roared, pulling the flyer along, faster and faster, until it rose off the ice and quickly into the sky. Elsa, Anna and Kristoff followed with their eyes as Victor turned the flyer around so he was heading back the way he came. As he approached his 3 friends, he rolled the Wooden Dragon in a perfect barrel roll, hollering happily as he passed. Kristoff held his hand high. Anna waved her arms and cheered. But Elsa only smiled, blowing him a kiss. And as he flew beyond the end of the fjord, Elsa whispered;

"Until next time, my love."


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 10

(4 months later)

The North Mountain Ice Palace looked very different today. With her sister's wedding being held there, Elsa had used her powers to make some additions, providing accommodations for the many guests who would be attending. An east wing, made up of guest rooms. Stables for the horses, as well as a special stable for the Dragon Riders dragons. Large platforms around the outside of the castle to keep guests from falling down the mountainside. Even a long ice bridge between the castle and the adjacent mountain, a safe place for Victor to land his flyer should he attend. But of all the guest replies, his was the only one that never came.

Elsa could not let her mind wander though. She had bigger issues to deal with now. For even though she wanted to be helping Anna prepare for her big day, the ice palaces unique features made it necessary for her to guide the attendants during setup. Placement of rugs and fire bowls was crucial to keeping the guests comfortably warm yet not so warm as to melt the castle around them. And though it was now late spring with clear and sunny skies, the air on the north mountain was always cold. Couldn't have the bishop trying to perform the ceremony over the sound of chattering teeth.

Arriving guests were awestruck by the beauty of the ice palace. Many just stood staring at it upon arrival, having never seen anything like it. At the base of the stairs leading into the castle, they would be met by Olaf and Marshmallow. Olaf would check their invitations and welcome them while Marshmallow would deal with anyone trying to get in without an invitation. No problems with security here. Once inside, attendants guided guests to the upper level where the ceremony would be held. Chairs had been placed facing a platform, with a red carpeted aisle down the center and clusters of flowers secured to the walls. On the platform, tall ornate torches held floral decorations. The lower hall had been set up for the reception that would follow. Carpet covered the entire floor, and flowers adorned the walls. A raised platform for the band now held musical instruments. And tables on either side of the frozen fountain between the staircases waited to be loaded with refreshments. Elsa had worked hard to make the scene perfect, and arriving guests agreed she had succeeded.

Needing a break from the activity, Elsa stood on her private balcony on the top level of the castle, taking in the refreshingly cool air. She had looked in on Anna earlier, finding her very excited and just a little nervous, and assured her that everything was going perfectly. Now she was trying to convince herself of the same.

"ELSY!" a familiar voice called from behind her. Turning around, Elsa quickly recognized the source. Her cousin, Princess Rapunzel of Corona.

"PUNZIE!" Elsa replied happily as they hugged. "I'm so glad you could be here. Is your husband here as well?"

Smiling, Rapunzel replied, "Oh yes. Eugene's downstairs. He distracted the guards so I could sneak up here and see you. How are you doing?"

"A little frazzled." Elsa stated, "but I want this day to be perfect for Anna, so it's worth it."

"And it will be," Rapunzel reassured her. "Anna will have the most amazing wedding ever, thanks to you."

Elsa was grateful for her cousin's reassurances, and they spent a little time chatting on the balcony. Until something caught Rapunzel's attention. Pointing upward, she asked Elsa,

"Um…what is THAT?!"

Looking up, Elsa smiled brightly. "That would be some more guests."

Elsa and Rapunzel went back downstairs, with Rapunzel heading back to the husband, and Elsa heading outside to meet their guests. She arrived at the base of the staircase just in time to calm Marshmallow as 7 dragons landed.

"Riders!" Elsa exclaimed. "It's wonderful to see you again!"

"Wouldn't miss it for the world." Hiccup replied as they hopped off their dragons.

After a greeting hug, Elsa commented. "I see you have some new recruits."

Hiccup replied. "A few introductions are in order. You know the original riders."

"Of course." Elsa replied, nodding to them.

Hiccup continued." First, this is Eret, son of Eret, and his dragon Skullcrusher."

"A pleasure to make your acquaintance, your majesty." Eret stated, respectfully bowing.

"And this," Hiccup added, "is my mother, Valka, and her dragon Cloudjumper."

"YOUR MOTHER?!" Elsa exclaimed.

Valka bowed. "It's an honor to meet you, your majesty. Hiccup has told me much about you and your sister. Thank you for inviting us to share in your sister's celebration."

"The honor is mine." Elsa replied. "And I apologize for my outburst."

Hiccup chuckled. "That's ok, Elsa. I did the same thing when I found out."

"Was Stoick unable to attend?" Elsa asked Hiccup.

Sadly, he replied, "I'm afraid he was lost in battle."

Elsa gasped. "Oh no! I'm so sorry." Then calmly added, "But I'm sure he's sitting at Odin's table now, sharing tales of glorious battles with Thor."

Valka smiled. "Someone's been doing their homework."

"I've prepared a special stable for your dragons," Elsa said. "with plenty of water and fish. I hope Icelandic Cod is suitable."

"The dragons are getting spoiled today!" Fishlegs commented. "Icelandic Cod is their favorite fish."

Smiling, Elsa directed them towards the dragon stables. After settling the dragons in, Hiccup and Valka returned to Elsa, while the other riders joined the guests inside.

"This castle is magnificent, your majesty!" Valka said amazedly. "However did you build it?'

Elsa smiled. "Actually it was accidental. I was making full use of my powers for the first time, seeing what I could do. I just thought of an ice castle and there it was."

"Incredible!" Valka exclaimed. "I thought only the Bewilderbeast had the power to create ice at will."

"The Bewilderbeast," Hiccup interrupted, seeing Elsa's confusion, "is a very large and very powerful dragon with the ability to breathe ice rather than fire."

"I see." Elsa commented, clearly intrigued. For a short time, the 3 chatted, until Hiccup spotted something odd.

"Is that a Night Fury?" he asked, pointing to the sky.

Looking up, Valka commented. "If it is a Night Fury, it's not very healthy."

Elsa squinted, trying to see what the others were looking at. But when she realized what it was, her face lit up.

"No. That's my boyfriend!" she exclaimed excitedly.

"Your BOYFREIND?!" Hiccup and Valka replied in amazement.

As they watched from the ground, The Wooden Dragon swooped down, flying low and fast as it passed the castle. It then pulled up in a spiral, then leveled out, before descending toward the ice bridge. As Elsa, along with many others, watched, Victor guided his flyer down, gently touching the wheels onto the ice. The engine roar became a gentle chugging as he powered back, rolling to a stop near the gathered crowd. After shutting down the engine, Victor held his hands high and exclaimed proudly, "NAILED IT!"

Elsa ran towards him, barely giving him time to climb out of the flyer before throwing her arms around him and firmly planting her lips to his. A gesture he eagerly returned. And for a few moments, there was nothing in existence but the two of them. But ONLY a few moments. The crowd that had witnessed Victor's arrival, including Hiccup and Valka, was also coming down to see the unusual flying machine that had just appeared before them.

Composing herself quickly, Elsa said, "Everyone, this is Prince Victor of Zalaria. My boyfriend and creator of The Wooden Dragon."

"G'mornin!" Victor smiled, holding up his hand.

Questions began to fly at them, but before they could answer any of them, Kai pushed his way through the crowd and commented respectfully, "Your majesty, it's almost time."

Elsa politely asked everyone to head to the upper level, then turned to Victor.

"You need to get changed. I've had an outfit prepared for you."

Victor smiled. "Already got that covered, love." He replied, pulling a bag from the flyer. "I think you'll be impressed."

With only half an hour before the ceremony was due to begin, Elsa chose not to ask. Instead she made one request of Victor, before directing an attendant to show him to a room where he could prepare. She went to see to last minute details, including one last visit with her sister before she became a married woman.

All the guests were now seated, with the front two rows filled by Kristoffs family, the Troll clan, owing to their smaller stature. The choir began singing and the bridal party entered, one bridesmaid and one groomsman at a time, each moving to the side at the front of the room. There were 10 of each in total. They were then followed by the ring bearer and flower girl. The flower girl, Gerda's 6 year old niece Emily, the ring bearer a troll child known as Rocky.

Next down the aisle was Kristoff, dressed in full princely attire. He held his head high as he walked, and his noble appearance drew many whispered complements for the crowd as he too took his place at the front next to his groomsmen.

Anna looked stunningly beautiful as she made her walk, her elegant white dress and long lace train giving her the appearance of floating rather than walking. Her face bore the most brilliant of smiles as she looked at her soon-to-be husband. A smile that Kristoff mirrored as he looked upon her. She too took her place with her bridesmaids.

An attendant then called out." ALL RISE FOR THE QUEEN!"

As was tradition, the queen was the last to enter. On command, everyone stood, bowing in respect as Queen Elsa and her escort, Prince Victor of Zalaria, passed them. At the front, Anna and Kristoff could not believe their eyes upon seeing Victor. Partly due to the fact they were unaware of his arrival, but mainly due to his perfectly polished appearance, his uniform adorned with gold over the royal colors of Zalaria. When Elsa and Victor arrived at the front, Victor assisted Elsa onto the platform, then took his place off to the side as the queen stood at platform center and addressed the crowd.

"Welcome, Everyone!" Elsa began. "Today we gather to unite Kristoff and Princess Anna of Arendelle. According to royal custom, such a union cannot occur between a royal and a commoner male unless he is granted a royal title by the ruling monarch. Kristoff, please step forward."

Kristoff complied, moving to stand directly in front of the queen. Kai then stepped onto the platform and presented Elsa with an ornate sword with many jewels on the hilt. Elsa took the sword from its sheath, holding it in front of her.

"This is the Royal Sword of Arendelle. According to family history this blade would be used by the ruling monarch to bestow a royal title upon young men that the monarch would deem worthy of entrance into the royal family of Arendelle, or to remove the heads of those who were deemed unworthy."

Despite many rehearsals, Kristoff still gulped uncomfortably at that thought.

"It should be known," Elsa added, smiling, "that the Sword of Arendelle has not tasted blood in more than 20 generations, and has not hungered for it."

Quiet giggles from the crowd, and Anna, rose as Kristoffs shoulders slumped slightly in needless relief. After a moment, Elsa continued.

"Kristoff, adopted son of the Troll clan, why do you present yourself here today?"

Standing tall, Kristoff replied strongly. "I come seeking the hand of Princess Anna of Arendelle in marriage, your majesty."

"Do you deem yourself worthy of such an honor?" Elsa asked.

Kristoff took a deep breath, then replied. "I do not feel it's my place to make such a judgment. But to the best of my knowledge, Princess Anna does. And that is sufficient for me."

'That answer would have cost you your head 20 generations ago' Elsa thought to herself.

"So be it." Elsa replied. "Kneel, Kristoff."

Kristoff did as ordered. Elsa then held the sword with both hands above her head. Even though it was well known what the outcome would be, some in the crowd still gasped in fear. Even Anna looked a little nervous. Elsa then lowered the blade, lightly tapping it against Kristoffs shoulders, stating,

"I deem you worthy of entry into the royal family of Arendelle. As such, as Queen of Arendelle, I bestow upon you the royal title of Prince. Now rise, Prince Kristoff."

Kristoff stood tall as Elsa returned the sword to Kai, who then left the platform. Anna then stepped over beside Kristoff, looking up to her sister. Elsa turned and stepped back as the bishop stepped forward, taking Elsa's place.

"Queen Elsa," the bishop asked, "As the eldest of your family, do you approve the joining of Princess Anna to Prince Kristoff."

Elsa smiled pleasantly. "Yes, your Eminence. I do approve."

"Dearly beloved," the bishop began, "We are gathered her today to bear witness to the joining of Prince Kristoff and Princess Anna of Arendelle in holy matrimony. If there is anyone present who can provide just cause as to why these two should not be wed, speak now or forever hold your silence."

At the back of the room, Marshmallow scanned around, ready to pounce on anyone who dared to speak. Fortunately, no-one did.

"Prince Kristoff," the bishop asked, "do you take Princess Anna of Arendelle to be your holy wedded wife, from this day forth, for as long as you both shall live?"

Kristoff looked to Anna and replied, "I do."

"Princess Anna of Arendelle," he continued, "do you take Prince Kristoff to be your holy wedded husband, from this day forth, for as long as you both shall live?"

Looking at Kristoff, Anna replied, "With all my heart, I do."

"The rings, please." The bishop called.

Rocky rolled out into the aisle and up to the bishop's feet. He then unrolled himself and stood upright, his hand raised above his head holding 2 gold rings.

Taking the rings, the bishop said, "Thank you my young friend."

"No problem!" the troll child replied. He then turned and walked back to his place, grinning the whole way. This elicited many ohhs and awes from the crowd, and a woman's voice could be heard whispering "I want one!".

The bishop held the two rings above his head, and recited a blessing in the cleric's speech. With the blessing complete, he handed Anna and Kristoff each one ring.

"Kristoff, place the ring on Anna's finger." The bishop ordered. And Kristoff did so.

The bishop then repeated the order to Anna, who also complied.

As Kristoff and Anna held each other's hands, the bishop now recited a marriage prayer, again in the cleric's speech. Once completed, he proudly announced,

"By the powers vested in me, it is my great pleasure to pronounce this couple as husband and wife." Then to Kristoff he said, "You may kiss the bride."

The moment their lips met, the room burst into applause. The trolls jumped and cheered, a few of them breaking their chairs in the process, and the Dragon Riders of Berk howled in celebration.

Elsa then stepped forward.

"As Queen of Arendelle, I welcome Kristoff into our family. And it is my great pleasure to present to all of you, Prince Kristoff and Princess Anna of Arendelle."

The cheers and applause resumed. Elsa let it run for a few moments before raising her hand. The room then went silent.

"A reception has been prepared in the lower hall." She announced. "If you would all make your way downstairs, we can all begin celebrating the union of my sister and brother-in-law."

As everyone headed to the lower hall, Anna and Kristoff took the opportunity to steal a few minutes for themselves. Standing together on the balcony, they watched as the sun fell below the horizon, setting the sky ablaze.

"It's so beautiful." Anna commented.

"The mariners have a saying about this." Kristoff replied. "Red sky at night, sailors delight. It predicts favorable conditions for tomorrow."

Anna looked into his eyes. "Does that work for newlyweds as well?"

"I'd like to think so." Kristoff replied, kissing his new wife.

For a few minutes, they just stood holding each other, looking out over the land, watching the sky burn. Then Kristoff commented,

"We should get downstairs, my love. It is our party after all."

"You're right, my husband." Anna replied, stepping away smiling and holding a finger up. "You just make sure you stay away from the Viking ale. I want you clear headed for later tonight."

Jokingly, Kristoff commented.

"And so it begins!"


	12. Chapter 12

Epilogue

The reception was now in full swing. Anna and Kristoff had done their time graciously accepting congratulations from all of the guests, and were now in the center of the hall enjoying their first dance as husband and wife. Elsa, quite content not to be the center of attention for once, watched happily with Victor and her friends from the side of the room. She could clearly see the love and joy in her sister's face as they danced, and couldn't help smiling herself.

"I've been to a few weddings in my time," Victor commented, "but this was by far the best I've seen."

"I'm with you on that one, Vic!" Eugene replied. "Punzie and I should have called on you to plan our wedding, Elsa." Rapunzel responded by punching her husband in the arm.

Elsa smiled. "Thank you. I just wanted Anna's wedding to be perfect. This day will only happen once, and she deserved the best I could give her."

"And she certainly got it." Valka replied. "How will you ever top this for your wedding?"

Elsa looked to her and replied, "My wedding? What do you mean?"

"Oh come on, Elsa." Astrid interjected. "We can all see how well you and Victor fit together. You can't expect us to believe it hasn't at least crossed your mind."

Leave it to a viking to put her on the spot, and Elsa's face went red. Thankfully, Victor came to her rescue.

"I'm not gonna say it's out of the question, but there are a few obstacles we have to work through before we could consider making our relationship permanent."

Elsa pulled Victor close.

"Well, don't wait too long." Valka grinned at Elsa. "You don't want to miss out on such a fine man."

Now it was Victors turn to blush.

Rapunzel commented. "But that would mean Vic would have to give up his exploring. You can't build a marriage by spending so much time apart."

"Quite right, Punzie." Elsa replied. "But I don't want Victor to be anything but who he is. When the time is right to settle is his choice." She looked to Victor. "And I will be here waiting when he is."

Victor suddenly seemed uncomfortable. And by the sudden look of concern on Elsa's face he knew she could see it.

"Um…about that." He stuttered. "I was gonna wait till tomorrow to mention this, but since you brought it up…"

"What's wrong, love?" Elsa asked worriedly.

Victor continued. "Well, I noticed an odd pattern in my travels these past few months, thanks to that map you gave me. Seems every time I went away from Arendelle, my next flight had me heading back towards Arendelle. Something keeps pulling me back this way, and it got me thinking. What if what Kristoff said about love is true, that it will always bring two people back together no matter the distance?"

"That makes sense." Hiccup commented. "It doesn't matter where I go, Astrid always finds me."

Victor continued. "If that's the case, then it makes no difference how hard I try, I'll always be heading back this way. Maybe it's time for me to stop wandering and try a whole new adventure." He then smiled at Elsa. "Any suggestions?"

Elsa's face lit up, and she replied by throwing her arms around Victor and kissing him.

"I don't get it." Ruffnut stated.

Fishlegs provided the explanation. "Victor is asking if Elsa wants him to stay in Arendelle with her, and she is saying yes."

"That's so romantic." Tuffnut commented.

"What's so romantic?" Kristoff asked, he and Anna joining the group.

Valka replied, "I appears that Prince Victor will be staying in Arendelle from now on."

Anna's face lit up. "Oh! That's wonderful!" she exclaimed. Kristoffs smile mirrored his wife's excitement.

"Can I point something out here?" Rapunzel commented. "Is it just me, or do the women in our family seem to be attracted to the…how shall I say it…rough cut type of man?"

"I don't think I understand." Elsa stated.

Rapunzel explained, "Well, I found the love of my life in Eugene, who at the time was a wanted thief. Anna fell for Kristoff, an ice harvester. And now you've landed yourself a rogue prince."

"I see what the princess means." Valka commented. "You've all found yourselves diamonds in the rough."

Elsa smiled. "I see your point. I guess we all like a man with rough edges that we can smooth out."

"Then you should come to Berk more often." Astrid commented. "Rough edges are all we have."

Astrids comment brought forth a flurry of laughter from the group.

"OH! Speaking of rough edges…" Anna stated, running towards the band. The others watched confusedly as Anna chatted with the band leader, then ran back.

"Next dance," she called out, "is for all of us."

Valka mentioned, "I'm afraid I don't know the steps."

Anna giggled. "Oh yes you do."

The band leader called out. "Everyone. At the request of Princess Anna, we present a song from my great grandfathers people, the Marauder Viking clan."

Immediately the band broke into a fast, spirited tune that instantly drew the Riders to the dance floor, followed by the royal family of Arendelle, as well as the Prince and Princess of Corona. At first others simply watched in amazement as the royals of Arendelle and Corona danced with the Vikings of Berk, which looked more to them like jumping around senselessly than dance. But the smiles and laughter from Elsa, Anna and Rapunzel soon lured others to join them. Before long, there was no room left on the dance floor, and everyone was having a wonderful time. A feeling that continued well into the night.

But all good things must come to an end. And as the group sat conversing after another very spirited dance, Kai came over to Elsa and whispered. "Your majesty. I'm afraid it's time."

"Already?" Elsa replied.

Kai nodded in response. Elsa sighed and stood, then walked over to the band platform.

"Your attention, please everyone!"

The music stopped and all eyes were on her.

"I'm afraid." She continued, "that the time has come for the bride and groom to leave us for their honeymoon. If you would all form two lines, Kai and Gerda will be passing out rice to toss as they leave, to be followed by what has been promised to be a spectacular sendoff provided by the Dragon Riders of Berk."

The Riders headed outside as everyone took their places, with Anna and Kristoff at the front of an aisle of guest, now armed with handfuls of rice. Elsa gave Anna and Kristoff each a warm hug, then tossed her rice into the air above them, signaling them to start running. Rice showered down from each guest as they passed. Some were a little more sadistic, intentionally aiming at them. But it was all in good fun.

As Anna and Kristoff passed out the doors, they continued down the stairs where a white open carriage was waiting for them. On either side of the carriage, and a small distance away, the Riders and their dragons were lined up side by side. Upon seeing the happy couple, they began tossing small bags into their dragon's mouths. The dragons then each launched the bags into the air on a fire blast. As Anna and Kristoff boarded the carriage, the dragon blasts exploded above them in colorful showers of bright sparks, lighting up the night sky in a display like none had seen before. For a few moments, Anna and Kristoff just sat in the carriage watching the display, before Kristoff finally signaled the driver to go.

Elsa and Victor watched the display from the upper level balcony, and waved happily as the carriage rolled off.

"Now that is what I call a perfect ending to the evening." Victor commented.

"The evening isn't over yet." Elsa replied.

Victor was confused. "But the party is over. The guests are leaving. What's left?'

Elsa pulled him close and kissed him, then grinned slyly,

"Anna and Kristoff aren't the only ones who'll be making noise tonight!"


End file.
